How lucky we are that just when the amazing Toni Morrison has passed, we have an insightful documentary about her life and work to remind us who she is and what she means to us playing in theaters throughout the country. If you’ve ever read one of her novels and fallen in love with her story telling, make time to see this film now. The film opens with Morrison reciting her poem “The Pieces I am,” and then goes on to tell us about her life in her own words, as well as through

Sunday night the newly opened restaurant CoCo J’Adore on little West 12th Street in New York’s Greenwich Village hosted an evening of “Verbal Burlesque” featuring Michael Imperioli, best known for his work as Christopher Moltisanti on The Sopranos, and punk musician Lydia Lunch. The standing room only crowd heard Imperioli read from his recently published novel The Perfume Burned His Eyes, which is a coming of age story about growing up in New York City in the 1970’s that rec

Esme Oliver has worked as an attorney, a health-care lobbyist, and a legislative director for two US Senators; work which sharpened her left-brain but didn’t quite fulfill her soul. Esme eventually left DC for her native Midwest, where she now writes grants (for money) and stories (for fun). She enjoys lots of travel and a long list of other activities that pair well with a nice Pinot. RDN: When did you first start writing? I wrote my first book when I was in fourth grade so