Under the Spreading Chestnut: Mother’s Day Brunch, Part IV
In this final installment of lunch with Mercedes’ clan, we write a poem together, inspired by Nick and Liza’s story about the loss of the stack of love poems decades ago. Or was the flurry of words that were floating and flinging across the table seeking a resting place? Whatever the reason, I pulled a […]
My Door Was Always Open: Mother’s Day Brunch, Part III
Continued from the previous post entitled “We Are a Corporation”: MERCEDES, who now lives on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, has been coming to the Pfister for many years since her daughter MARIA moved to Milwaukee from the South Bronx almost twenty years ago. This winter, she came to Milwaukee to support MARIA through back surgery, […]
We Are a Corporation: Mother’s Day Brunch, Part II
Set in the Grand Ballroom of the historic Pfister Hotel, in present day Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Two gigantic chandeliers divide the room, which is framed in gold, with walls covered in Victorian art. A Puerto Rican family with American roots in the South Bronx and Manhattan’s Lower East Side dominates a table toward the back of […]
Thirteen Blackbirds: Mother’s Day Brunch, Part I
In the days leading up to the Pfister’s famous Mother’s Day brunch this past Sunday, I began wondering why we brunch in the first place. I knew that the word was a portmanteau of “breakfast” and “lunch.” And I remembered gorging (I mean, feasting) on scrumptious delights in Las Vegas–filling plates with eggs benedict, haricot […]
An Introduction: Prequel No. 2
Here is the second of my two “prequels” to my first official post as Pfister Narrator, in which I will formally introduce myself and give thanks to those who have come before me. This prequel is also adapted from a sample blog post I submitted to the selection committee. “Window Seat” is inspired by a […]
An Introduction: Prequel No. 1
Greetings, Milwaukee! While Narrator Emeritus Jonathan West’s photograph and bio still linger on the sidebar–it’s no wonder, since he has become such a presence and voice at the Pfister over the past year–I offer you two “prequels” to my first official post as Pfister Hotel Narrator, in which I will formally introduce myself and give […]
