Personal/Family Archives - JACK BERNARD'S TRAVELS

Archive for Personal/Family

Posted by jdbernard743

· June 24, 2025

Over the Long Haul…

Homer. Leonardo da Vinci. Paul Simon. Picasso. Roger Federer. Mark Twain. Theodore Roethke. Josef Haydn. Toko Shinoda. Norman Maclean. James Taylor. Ernest Hemingway. Helen Frankenthaler. Bob Dylan. Arthur Ashe. Eva Cassidy. Thomas Keller and Jose Andres.

What’s the thread that links them? I can’t really explain it. It’s personal. It’s inside of me—but each one has given me something enduring, inspiring, touching and aspirational. Each of them created something enduring. Something to admire. Something beyond the ordinary or even beautiful. Not one of them is perfect, but each one represents near perfection in their chosen art. They are my touchstones of creative excellence, artistic execution and longevity. read more

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Categories : Art, Books, Friendship, Personal/Family, Theater, Uncategorized

Posted by jdbernard743

· April 8, 2025

· 3 Comments

Life and Death and the Whole Damn Thing…

“The dead dwell in the conditional tense of the unreal.”

You’ve probably never heard of David Siegel or Scott McGehee, but you will. They are business partners, screenwriters, directors, and filmmakers who’ve made eight feature films over the last 30 years—titles that include The Montana Story, What Maisie Knew, The Deep End, and Bee Season. All well worth seeing.

They make the kind of films I love—small, , thought provoking, literary, and independent. But I might never have heard of them either but for the fact that my friend, Dave Northfield, is one of Siegel’s best friends and the two of them stayed at my apartment in Berlin after graduating from UC Berkeley in the early 80s. read more

Categories : Art, Books, Film/Television, Friendship, Personal/Family, Uncategorized, Writing, Writing

Posted by jdbernard743

· March 29, 2025

· 7 Comments

“Only the Best People…”

It will be interesting to see if anyone still visits Jack Bernard’s Travels. It’s effectively been on pause since the fall of 2023 when I went back to school for a low residency two year novel writing program at Stanford. No novel yet, but last week I finished the last required course which means I now have more time and flexibility to write here.

I’ve missed writing the JBT blog and commenting on things that matter to me—art, film, food, books, travel (and occasionally politics)—and I’ve missed hearing back from you about what you like or don’t like. I haven’t been totally absent–in 2023 I posted twelve essays and last year I wrote two restaurant reviews, a critique of Boeing’s engineering failures, and three essays on why I couldn’t support Biden (before he pulled the plug). Nevertheless, JBT has been off more than on. read more

Categories : Ethics, News and Media, Personal/Family, Politics, Uncategorized, Writing, Writing

Posted by jdbernard743

· November 4, 2024

· 3 Comments

Getaway…

T. S. Eliot wrote that “April is the cruelest month.” For me it’s November. The days have suddenly gone from the warm bright colors of Indian Summer to the rainy grays of approaching winter. The transition comes quickly, and now I have to think twice about whether to wear a rain shell, a down parka or both. Adding to sunlight affective disorder (SAD) is the darkness and impending doom of this week’s presidential election.

M and I used to getaway by getting on an airplane and flying to some exotic destination. It wasn’t so much getting away as getting to, but times have changed. We have aged. Our world is smaller. And, today we focus on local pleasures—especially food and friends. read more

Categories : Food/Restaurants, Personal/Family, Travel, Uncategorized

Posted by jdbernard743

· May 18, 2024

· 5 Comments

What Goes Around…

On August 1, 1999 Robert Gottlieb, the esteemed editor-in-chief at Simon and Schuster, reviewed Speaking of Diaghilev in the New York Times Book Review. The book is John Drummond’s definitive biography of Serge Diaghilev, the famous/infamous ballet impresario. Gottlieb is best known as the editor for Toni Morrison, Joseph Heller, Nora Ephron, John LeCarre and Robert Caro–but he was also a lifelong balletomane and wrote frequently on the subject.

So, why am I telling you this?

Because last week when I was feeling overwhelmed and reflecting on both the good and bad news associated with moving a household, I noticed a yellowed corner of newsprint sticking out of a book in our new bookcase. The book was Speaking of Diaghilev and the clipping was Gottlieb’s review. read more

Categories : Art, Books, News and Media, Personal/Family, Uncategorized, Writing