Maybe because I was born and raised in Boston..

 

and heard the name Kennedy since I was a child that another unbearable tragedy, the death of John F. Kennedy's granddaughter, Tatiana, so moved me.

I followed John F. Kennedy's exciting candidacy for the presidency as a young teen, thrilled to think a young, handsome U.S. senator from my state could become president. I remember a classmate who supported Nixon's candidacy and I kept up a friendly competition to see whose chosen candidate would win -- we were both too young to vote. When JFK won, my family and I were thrilled. I'd been used to seeing Dwight D. Eisenhower as a young child on television, and thought only old men could be presidents, but now JFK would make US history as the youngest president ever elected. 

The brief Kennedy years were an exciting time for us Bostonians, and I followed his presidency the way other young teens followed movie stars in the then popular Hollywood gossip magazine, Photoplay.

Then unimagined tragedy hit us all in the gut on November 22, 1963, when our beloved JFK was assassinated in Dallas, Texas.  In my mind, I can still see that famous photo of Mrs. Kennedy and her two young children, Caroline and John, standing on the steps of the White House waiting for President Kennedy's funeral procession to arrive.  My parents, my brother, and I wept as we watched the horse-drawn caisson carry his casket to Arlington Cemetery to be placed beneath the Eternal Flame.

As the years passed, we watched Caroline and John grow into fine young adults. But tragedy was never far away. Our former First Lady, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis,  passed away in 1994 at the young age of 64, and five years later, the unthinkable happed again when John F. Kennedy, Jr., his wife, and his sister-in-law were killed when his plane went down off the coast of Martha's Vineyard in July of 1999.

And now, the unendurable news of Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg's daughter and JFK's granddaughter's passing at the age of 35, leaving behind her husband, George, her 3-year-old son, and her 1-year-old daughter, her father, Edwin, her sister, Rose, and her brother, Jack.

We mourn with them in the loss of this intelligent, accomplished, beautiful, gentle woman.

Her passing reminded me of how far back my family appreciated and supported her grandfather, John F. Kennedy. We found this letter from him to my father after my father passed away.  I treasure it:

“Even in our sleep, pain which cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart until, in our own despair, against our will, comes wisdom through the awful grace of God.” ― Aeschylus

"The Desecration of the John F. Kennedy Memorial Performing Arts Center," -- Michael Jochum

The Desecration of the Kennedy Center

Drummer and vibraphonist Chuck Redd, the longtime host of the Kennedy Center’s Christmas Eve Jazz Jam, made the only moral decision available when he canceled this year’s performance after the institution announced it was renaming itself in honor of Donald Trump. A sacred holiday tradition, gone, not because Redd is “intolerant,” but because he refused to become wallpaper for a regime that confuses vandalism with patriotism.

The response from Trump’s newly installed cultural commissars was immediate and obscene.

Richard Grenell, a Trump loyalist, freshly appointed chairman after Trump purged the board and crowned himself king of the place, fired off a threat demanding $1 million in damages from Redd for what he called a “political stunt.”

The vice president of public relations piled on, accusing artists who refuse to perform under Trump’s banner of being “selfish” and failing their “basic duty” to perform for “all people.”

Read that again.

They renamed the Kennedy Center after themselves.

They erased the spirit of John F. Kennedy from his own memorial.

They hollowed out a cultural institution into a MAGA banquet hall.

And now they are threatening musicians for declining to participate.

This is not patriotism.

This is coercion.

This is authoritarianism wearing a flag pin.

And the people who call artists “un-American” for protesting this grotesque takeover are not defending the country, they are defending the demolition of its soul.

Donald Trump, a man who has never read a poem, sat through an overture, or understood a single note of jazz unless it came with a picture book and a teenage blonde on his lap, already hosted the Kennedy Center Honors, and the ceremony was broadcast on national television to embarrassingly low ratings.

The verdict was immediate.

The country did not show up.

The audience did not come.

The empire yawned.

Because fascism always begins by stealing the places where beauty lives, and it always ends by discovering that beauty cannot be coerced.

The Kennedy Center, that marble temple to imagination and the dangerous idea that the human spirit is bigger than a tax deduction, has now been reduced to a MAGA banquet room with flags, folding chairs, and a buffet of cold chicken and lukewarm grievance.

Trump calls this “revamping in his image.”

Which is to say: taking a cathedral of culture and repainting it with the aesthetic of a rundown Midwestern strip mall.

He purged the board.

He named himself chairman.

He crowned himself curator of taste.

Taste.

This is the man whose artistic legacy consists of The Apprentice, a golden toilet, and Kid Rock holding a beer in one hand and a rifle in the other.

Ticket sales are collapsing.

Donors are fleeing.

Artists are walking away.

Renée Fleming resigned.

Ben Folds stepped down.

Issa Rae pulled out.

More than twenty productions vanished.

Because the arts are sacred.

And Trump, by his very nature, is a desecration.

He is the anti-art.

The anti-aesthetic.

The vandal with a key to the museum.

The Kennedy Center is not just a venue, it is a signal to the world of who we are when we are at our best.

Trump hosting the Honors became the punchline to a joke told by a dying empire.

The man who thinks culture is something you put on a baseball hat decided who received cultural immortality, and the country turned the channel.

Everything he touches decays.

Everything he touches becomes cheap.

Every institution he enters loses its dignity.

Not because he hates art, 

but because art requires a soul.

And he has never owned one.

So to my fellow musicians, composers, painters, writers, dancers, actors, this is your moment.

This is not about left or right.

This is about whether the inner creative life of this country will be governed by imagination or by intimidation.

When they attack the arts, they are attacking the one part of you they cannot own:

your inner creative self.

Do not give them that.

Do not decorate their decay.

Do not perform for your own erasure.

If the price of patriotism is silence in the face of vandalism, then it is not patriotism, it is surrender.

Art is resistance.

Beauty is resistance.

Refusal is resistance.

And history will remember who protected the stage when the tyrant tried to steal the spotlight.

– by Michael Jochum

Michael Jochum is a writer and musician reflecting on art, politics, and the human condition.

NARCISSISM HAS CONSEQUENCES

 

JOHN F. KENNEDY MEMORIAL PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

The Washington National Opera is openly discussing the possibility of leaving the Kennedy Center, citing a steep drop in ticket sales and donor confidence since Donald Trump installed himself as chair and reshaped the institution’s leadership. 

According to WNO artistic director Francesca Zambello, roughly 40% of seats are now going unsold compared to pre-takeover numbers, with longtime patrons boycotting the venue outright. Donors, she says, don’t want their money confused with political endorsement and saying the building has been 'tainted.'”

Artists Who Canceled Appearances/Shows: 

Issa Rae: Canceled a sold-out show, citing values infringement. 

Lin-Manuel Miranda/Hamilton: Canceled the musical's run, stating, "We're not going to be a part of it while it is the Trump Kennedy Center". 

Low Cut Connie: Canceled a performance, stating they wouldn't perform until the Center returned to non-partisan programming. 

Peter Wolf: Canceled a book event due to the administration's actions. 

Amanda Rheaume: Canceled her April 5th appearance due to differing politics and values. 

Balún: Canceled a scheduled performance, citing alignment issues with their safety and justice values. 

Sir András Schiff: Canceled all US performances, including at the Kennedy Center, for 2025-2026. 

Christian Tetzlaff: Canceled a US tour. 

 

Artists/Personalities Who Resigned Roles: 

Shonda Rhimes: Resigned as treasurer from the board. 

Ben Folds: Resigned as artistic adviser to the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO). 

Renee Fleming: Resigned as an artistic advisor. 

 These cancellations and resignations stem from a broad protest against Donald Trump's takeover and restructuring of the institution, which many artists felt violated the Center's historic mission of fostering art for all.

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL

 

Light posting this week for the Christmas holiday.

via GIPHY

via GIPHY

BOSTON COMMON:

MY NEIGHBORHOOD, BOSTON'S NORTH END:

A SOUTHERN ITALIAN CHRISTMAS EVE TRADITION: THE FEAST OF THE SEVEN FISHES

 

Growing up in a southern Italian family, I participated each Christmas Eve (La Vigilia di Natale) in the tradition of the Feast of the Seven Fishes.  I've never been able to find definitively where the tradition started or why seven fishes.  Here are some suggestions:



The Seven Sacraments of the Catholic Church -- baptism, penance, Holy Eucharist, confirmation, marriage, holy orders and the sacrament of Extreme Unction.



The seven sins of the world -- pride, envy, anger, gluttony, sloth, lust and greed.


The seven days it took Mary and Joseph to travel to Bethlehem.


Some say it's the seven hills of Rome, some say it's the seven winds of Italy, or the Seven Wonders of the World.

Another theory is that seven is a number representing perfection: the traditional Biblical number for divinity is three, and for Earth is four, and the combination of these numbers, seven, represents God on Earth, or Jesus Christ.

I have no idea why seven fishes were used, but it doesn't matter, since the idea of the feast was to carry on a tradition that was started somewhere in the obscure past and to celebrate a holiday in a manner that Italians know best--with lots of incredibly delicious food. 


My childhood memories are of my mother, grandmother (nonna) and aunts all working in the kitchen while the men smoked cigars, talked politics, and played cards in the parlor. [Beh!] 

One aunt made her famous ricotta filled ravioli.  Nonna made the dolci:  biscotti di regina, struffoli, pizzelle, pizza dolce, casatelli.   My mother, aunts and older cousins cracked steamed lobsters, picked the succulent meat from the knuckles, claws, 
and tails and put it into a marinara sauce that was ladled over piping hot bowls of linguini or fettucini. [We kids got to suck the little juicy bits of lobster meat from the legs, which were discarded because there wasn't enough meat in them to bother with.] I remember sweet, tender razor clams, stuffed with anchovy, parsley, and garlic flavored bread crumbs;  baccala--salted cod--made into a heavenly dish with hard-boiled eggs, floating in a savory sauce along with little salty green capers and bright red pimentoes.  The table was loaded with platters of lightly fried smelts, delicate sweet slender fish dredged in flour, sauted in olive oil, and served with cold lemon wedges; spicy, plump mussels in marinara sauce; scungilli salad; and my favorite, delicately battered and fried calamari.  One Christmas Eve, my mother prepared eel, which was surprisingly delicious--it tasted like chicken.

After everyone's bellies were filled, the uncles took out their musical instruments--violins, guitars, the older sisters and cousins played the piano, and we sang traditional Italian Christmas songs. [One of my childhood favorites was "Tu scendi dalle stelle." I just called it "Bambino."]  Finally, it was time for midnight Mass.  We all left the house and walked to church.  When we returned, we opened our gifts, played more music, ate more dolci and fell into bed by 2 am, exhausted, full, and happy.  Christmas day we all gathered again for our Christmas dinner--lasagna (in those days lasagna was made only for special occasions), followed by a meat course--roast beef or turkey, verdure (vegetables), salad, fruit, nuts, roasted chestnuts.  And later in the day, dolci--cannoli, pizza dolce, baba rum, and for the adults, caffe correcto (espresso coffee with a shot of sambuca in it).

I continued the tradition of cooking the seven fishes on December 24 when my children were at home, but now that they're living all over the country, it isn't as easy to do so with all of them so far away and on their own schedules.  But here is a feast of seven fishes meal I've made since then and am happy to share with everyone:


Feast of the Seven Fishes



Mussels with orzo (serves two)


2 lbs. mussels, cleaned and scrubbed
4 Tablespoons good fruity olive oil
4 cloves of garlic, sliced thin
1 medium onion, diced
1 medium stalk of celery, diced
1 medium carrot, diced
4 plum tomatoes, diced with skin and seeds
1 cup good burgundy wine
2 Tablespoons of minced fresh herbs (basil, mint, oregano, thyme, parsley, tarragon)
12 pitted black olives, sliced in half
1 tspn. anise seeds, crushed
salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste
3 Tablespoons minced parsley
1/4 pound of orzo


Boil water for orzo. Put orzo in water and cook until just tender (al dente).


Wash and scrub mussels and set aside. In a large, deep saute pan, saute the next 4 ingredients in olive oil until golden and tender, add plum tomatoes, and simmer for 1-2 minutes. Add wine and simmer until alcohol evaporates. Place mussels in pan, turn up heat and cook just till the shells open. Remove from heat. Stir in herbs, olives, anise seeds, salt and pepper. Add orzo to pan and stir so that the little rice-shaped pasta gets into the opened mussel shells. Place in deep pasta bowls and sprinkle with minced parsley. Serve immediately






Smelts with lemon (serves 2)


1/2 dozen smelts
3/4 cup flour
salt, pepper
4 Tablespoons olive oil
lemon wedges
1 Tablespoon minced parsley


Go to your local fishmonger and select the freshest smelts. Their eyes must glisten like the newly fallen snow. No cloudiness in the eyes. Ever.


Take the smelts home. Take a pair of scissors and snip off their heads, then run the scissors down the front of the fish and degut them. Very easy.


Wash and dry the smelts. Put the flour on a platter and generously season with salt and pepper. Roll the smelts into the seasoned flour and set aside. Place olive oil in saute pan and heat. Saute the smelts over gentle heat until they take on a golden color. Do not overcook. Place on a platter and squeeze some lemon on them. Serve with more lemon wedges and garnish with minced parsley.






Lobster meat with fresh tomatoes and linguini (serves 2)


1/2 lb. lobster meat (buy shelled at fishmonger or cook your own)
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
3 cloves of garlic, sliced
1 medium onion, minced
1/2 cup torn basil leaves
1 Tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves
3 plum tomatoes, diced, with skin and seeds.
salt and pepper to taste
1 Tablespoon minced parsley


In a medium saute pan, saute the onion and garlic until soft and golden in the combination butter and olive oil. Add the diced plum tomatoes. Simmer for 2/3 minutes. Stir in basil and thyme leaves, salt and pepper to taste. Stir in lobster meat and heat through. Serve over linguini. Sprinkle with minced parsley.






Shrimp Scampi (serves 2)


3/4 lb. shrimp, shelled and deveined
3 Tablespoons olive oil
5 oz. of shitake mushrooms, sliced
3 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
1 medium onion, minced
1/2 dozen cherry or grape tomatoes, cut in half
1/2 cup white wine
1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 oz. good quality feta or goat cheese
2 teaspoons lemon zest
2 Tablespoons combination minced fresh herbs (basil, thyme, mint, tarragon, parsley)


In a medium saute pan, saute the garlic and onion in olive oil until tender, add the mushrooms and simmer for 1-2 minutes, add the white wine and simmer until alcohol burns off. Add the tomatoes, lemon juice and lemon zest. Add shrimp and saute just until they turn pink, do not over cook. Remove from heat. Serve in shallow bowls. Sprinkle cheese and parsley just before serving.






Crabmeat and scallop stuffed filet of sole (serves 2)

2 good sized filets of sole pieces (approx. 1/2 lb. in total weight
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
1/4 cup crab meat
3 large scallops, cut in pieces
1/4 cup plain bread crumbs
salt and pepper, red pepper flakes to taste
1 teaspoon crushed cumin seeds
2 Tablespoons minced fresh herb combination (basil, thyme, parsley, tarragon, cilantro)
1 Tablespoon toasted pignole nuts
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
Lemon wedges


Place the olive oil and butter in saute pan. Add the scallops and cook to tender, add crab meat and heat through. Remove from heat. Stir in breadcrumbs, salt and pepper, cumin seeds, pignole nuts and herbs. Take the two sole filets and spoon mixture evenly on each filet. Carefully roll up the filets and place in glass baking pan. Dot with butter and squeeze lemon on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes. Sprinkle with minced herbs and serve with lemon wedges.



Pass the Alka-Seltzer and have a Happy Holiday, however you celebrate!