Dogs die, but the love we feel for them lives on
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'I was a comic book kid. I didn't like books with just words because I found them boring,' he says. 'I thought,
why am I looking at this page when I can look out the window of this classroom
?' But he began reading seriously in adulthood, and then taking creative writing classes at the University of Vermont.
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Now nearing 60, he lives in the house formerly occupied by J. D. Salinger in Cornish, N.H. He draws and writes in a journal — Moleskine, usually — and walks in woods he once explored with Penny, the miniature poodle who was, he says, 'in some ways the de facto child' he and his wife, Sofi, shared. It's Penny's face on the cover of the book, and Penny whose image throughout the book Bliss seems to be working and reworking. 'I don't think I would have much of a career if it weren't for dogs,' Bliss says. 'It's one of the first things that I draw when I sit down with the journal. It's either a tree or a dog, those are my go-to marks.'
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A couple of years after Penny died at 17, Bliss got a new dog, Junior. He says the knowledge that he'll someday lose Junior too hovers over his joy, but he doesn't regret loving another dog, adding, 'If you can suffer through it, what happens is you're just a better person; you're kinder, more understanding. You're more patient with yourself and others.'
Harry Bliss will read at 7 p.m. Monday, May 5, at
.
And now for some recommendations ...
Mo Ogridnik is a filmmaker and an NYU professor. Her time teaching at that university's Abu Dhabi campus inspired the novel '
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In '
Lili Taylor has always been such a wonderful actor to watch — perhaps partly because of the watchful quality she so often brings to her characters, exquisite outsiders, caught in the gaze of others but always paying attention. In '
Kate Tuttle edits the Globe's books section.
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Boston Globe
8 hours ago
- Boston Globe
Paul English and Rachel Cohen's grand wedding at an Irish five star resort was the stuff of fairy tales
Rachel does remember Paul's 'power pose': arms crossed with a slight lean forward. Paul is the founder of career path working for luxury brands, which, to a guy who wears 'sweatshirts and T-shirts,' was intriguing, he says. On Friday, guests were able to explore the grounds of the 840-acre estate — visiting the falconry and taking carriage rides before the welcome dinner. Most stayed on site for the wedding weekend. Christina Brosnan They matched in November 2019. Rachel, then 31 and a Miami native living in New York then 31, was surprised that the app had connected her with someone outside of her set dating preferences. (She and Paul have a 20-year age gap between them.) Still, when he asked her to dinner at 'She was like, ' Just go — what else are you going to do?' says Rachel. Advertisement At dinner, they were seated next to an Academy Award-nominated actor and an uber-famous fashion magazine editor with an equally famous bob. 'I was listening to him, but I'm also trying to listen to the conversation next to us,' remembers Rachel. The Irish ceremony was not overtly religious, however, the pair incorporated a few Jewish traditions from Rachel's family, including a custom chuppah and breaking the glass. The couple also used Rachel's father's tallit during the ceremony. Christina Brosnan Paul, however, won her attention. Nerves and hesitations untangled over shared plates of pasta before they headed to a nearby jazz club called Advertisement 'It was something I didn't expect,' says Rachel, 'but it was such a great, fun, easy date.' He said he had known the moment she stepped out of a taxi at the date's start that he wanted a second; 'but by the time we got to Groove, I really wanted to see her again." His regular work trips from Boston to New York grew from a few days to long weekends during their budding romance. They took leisurely walks through the city during the day and went to hear live jazz at night, pausing for snacks and cocktails along the way. A dozen strings musicians on pedestals lined the aisle, playing — a vision Rachel had when they first began to plan for their big day. Rachel's processional song was "Hallelujah." Christina Brosnan The Covid-19 pandemic, however, put those dates on hold. They talked daily, exchanging texts between meetings while they worked from their respective homes. 'It felt very quickly like Rachel was my best friend,' says Paul. 'We had only gone out a handful of times, and [then], it was nightly FaceTimes.' When travel restrictions loosened, the relationship began to evolve. They introduced each other to close friends, and weekends together stretched into weekdays. Guests were guided by a team of equestrians and hunting dogs to the next event following the cocktail hour. Christina Brosnan A turning point came around Rachel's birthday in 2022. Paul joined her on a trip to Florida to meet her family. 'It was one of those moments of 'What are we doing? Where do we want this to go?'' explains Rachel. 'Because it could either be like, we leave it as is... casual and just fun, or do we want to try to make this work?' Related : Rachel had found herself falling for Paul's good humor and 'approach to humanity.' Both had been frequent daters before they met, and the contextual contrast, for Rachel, helped: 'When you meet people with substance, it's different,' she says. 'He felt like a different level — it drew me in.' Advertisement In addition to a boots-on-the-ground planning team in Ireland, Rachel turned to Etsy, Canva, and her own graphic design skills to create personalized surprises for their guests — from a Paul-Rachel-themed Monopoly board that was left in the resort's sitting rooms to themed newspapers with information about the two and the weekend ahead. Christina Brosnan Paul loved Rachel's duality — her kindness, as well as, her professional ability to command a room and navigate different personalties. He remembers being impressed by her confidence when he overheard her running a meeting while they both worked from home. Her warmth won over his adult son and daughter from a previous marriage. '[My kids] know she has my back... I think both my kids like how happy I am,' says Paul. 'It feels good to have a best friend and a partner who knows everything — the good, bad and ugly — and [is] still my rock." By April 2023, Rachel had moved in with Paul in Boston, where they currently reside with their miniature Yorkshire terrier, Koko. While the couple calls the Seaport home base, they are largely unmoored, estimating they clock 100,000 travel miles each year. The custom dance floor featured the pair's initials — however, it may have gone unnoticed once their band Brooklyn Soul got revelers out of their seats. Rachel gown is by designer Monique Lhuillier; Paul's tuxedo is by Pal Zileri. Christina Brosnan And after Paul proposed that September — moments before the 60th birthday party Rachel had planned for him at Warehouse XI in Somerville — their international mileage ramped up as they prepared for a wedding in Ireland. The multi-day destination celebration took place at the 19th-century former manor home-turned-five-star golf resort named They worked with Irish wedding planner Advertisement American-born Irish dancers and social media stars The Gardiner Brothers were one of several acts that paid tribute to Irish culture throughout the weekend. The duo performed during dinner, but also "dance bombed" the couple during their reception entrance. Christina Brosnan The extravaganza kicked off Friday afternoon; the couple aimed to surprise and delight. A welcome party featured performers who wrote original poems, played the lira, and passed telegrams between guests. By evening, the manor Tack Room was transformed for live music, burlesque, and magic — and a tight five by Paul — before guests were sent to bed with late-night snacks delivered in custom boxes from 'Koko's pizzeria.' (One of the many custom elements Rachel had designed.) They wed in the afternoon on April 26. While they had anticipated rain (it's Ireland), the ceremony took place under blue skies. The couple had legally tied the knot in a New York City Hall ceremony in January, but their April 'I do's were especially poignant, featuring vows they had written themselves. 'I wanted [our guests] to know what a good human Paul is — a good father, grandfather, partner, businessman,' says Rachel of her vows. 'I wanted people to see that it's more than just the one version that they know... or get to see." The giant (inflatable) polar bear is a running joke for the couple who first saw a street artist wearing the costume while on a trip to Berlin, Germany. Rachel ordered a version of the costume as surprise at Paul's 60th birthday, where it hovered over the pair while he proposed. It would have been rude then not invite the bear to the wedding. Christina Brosnan Rachel's design directive for the black tie optional reception had been 'magical, secret garden.' In the manor's Grand Ballroom, floral overgrowth hung among crystal chandeliers, jewel-tone velvet draped the tables and stage, where TikTok-famous Irish dancers newlyweds' first dance was to Aerosmith's 'I Don't Want to Miss a Thing.' F ol lowing t he wedding, they stayed a few more blissful days to explore the Emerald Isle. Advertisement The memories were plentiful , for Paul, the journey will always be his favorite part. 'When the flight attendant says, 'Please buckle your seatbelt,' I get really excited, because it means Rachel and I are off to our next adventure.' Read more from , The Boston Globe's new weddings column. Rachel Kim Raczka is a writer and editor in Boston. She can be reached at
Boston Globe
a day ago
- Boston Globe
PIFF brings the silver screen back to the Cape
'What's so special about it to me is that, even though decades have passed, it feels just as relevant today,' Viola said. 'That, to me, makes it a perfect example of a film that we want to kick off the festival with and really set the tone for the week.' Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up The tone isn't only upheld by the festival's films, though. She said it's also an energy exuded throughout Provincetown. Advertisement 'It's really a place where tolerance is promoted and accepted,' Viola said. 'Everyone can be who they are in Provincetown and feel safe and feel comfortable.' She said it's a 'wonderful' location to host a film festival because many of the films PIFF showcases tackle difficult subjects that deserve a receptive audience. 'Provincetown is the perfect place to have these films be cherished and supported,' Viola said. This year's festival includes films like ' Advertisement For those interested in films with a hometown feel, Viola highlighted ' Still of Spiritus Pizza, a family-run pizza and coffee bar in Provincetown, from "Spiritus: No Business Like Dough Business." Provincetown Film Society Viola said PIFF tries to give people a wide variety of options because they know many of these films aren't always available outside of the film festival circuit. She encouraged those in attendance to step out of their comfort zones and watch films they wouldn't usually go to their local theater to see. Throughout the festival there are also opportunities to attend parties and panels, including a special event with ' Festivalgoers can also hear from actors including 'The White Lotus' and 'The Last of Us' star Advertisement Murray Bartlett and River Gallo in "Ponyboi." Provincetown Film Society Eva Victor, the other Next Wave Award honoree, will make their directorial debut at the festival with ' At the end of the festival, Viola said the organizers of PIFF hope people not only have an incredible experience in Provincetown, but leave full of ideas. 'We hope they take that back to their communities and share what they've seen and what they've heard and what they've talked about with their friends and family and colleagues and discuss beyond just what happens for those five days,' she said. 'We hope it really carries on throughout the year.' Provincetown International Film Festival, June 11-15. Single screening tickets start at $20. For more information, including films, locations, and screening times, visit .
Boston Globe
a day ago
- Boston Globe
In 1978, Pat Wells cut an album that didn't make it big. In 2025, songs from it landed on Netflix.
The new show that wanted to incorporate her music is ' Advertisement 'It's a very, like, up-in-the-tower kind of recognition,' Wells, now 71, said recently in a phone interview from her home in Grantham, N.H. It feels like a major upheaval in her life, 'like if you read my tarot cards, they'd say TOWER!' Get Love Letters: The Newsletter A weekly dispatch with all the best relationship content and commentary – plus exclusive content for fans of Love Letters, Dinner With Cupid, weddings, therapy talk, and more. Enter Email Sign Up On the day the series dropped in late May, Wells sat down and binge-watched all five episodes. When she was finished, she thought, there must be some mistake. The songs weren't there. Oh, yes they were, responded Douglas Mcgowan. They were just buried deep in the mix. Mcgowan is the owner of the small California reissue label that made 'Hometown Lady' available to download more than 15 years ago. He found a copy at a Boston-area record shop — Advertisement And that, once again, was that, for more than a decade. About a year ago, he reconnected with Wells and told her he was sending her a check, rounding up to $100, the amount he felt he owed her. 'I'm pretty sure you could count the number of people who paid to download her record on your fingers and toes,' he said recently. Pat Wells grew up in West Newbury, the fourth of five children born to a radiologist and his stay-at-home wife. At 10 or 11, she became interested in learning to play the guitar. She'd close her bedroom door to drown out the commotion in her crowded house, and try to write songs. When she was 16, one of her older sisters encouraged her to sign up to sing at the open mic night at 'Nobody could drink at that table,' Wells recalled. There was a robust circuit of barrooms and stages across the North Shore for songwriters at the time, Wells said. At the Pat Wells plays her guitar at her home in Grantham, N.H. Jim Davis/Jim Davis for the Globe She remembers seeing Tom Rush perform in Salem and Bonnie Raitt in Ipswich, and there were lots of artists — Bill Madison, Kenny Girard, Charlie Bechler — who drew local followings. Younger than most of her peers, she felt supported by the audiences she encountered. Advertisement 'There was something about creating music, having people listen to you and enjoy what you had to say about your life, your friends, the area,' she said. When she picked up some work assisting a piano tuner, she asked to pick his brain. 'You know, I've got all these songs,' she said. 'How do people make records?' The piano tuner happened to know Josiah Spaulding Jr., the songwriter who would later become Spaulding helped organize the band that backed Wells in the studio. They recorded at Century III, then a video editing and post-production company on Boylston Street that took in occasional musical acts on the side. Each day, Wells drove her beat-up Ford F-100 pickup truck across the I-93 bridge into the city. Pat Wells grew up in West Newbury. She now lives in New Hampshire. Jim Davis/Jim Davis for the Globe 'It was a wonderful opportunity to work with studio musicians who were so talented,' she said. 'Joe was able to do that thing that producers do — rise above and take the 50,000-foot view.' 'I thought she was a terrific songwriter,' said Spaulding, who has a home on Plum Island. 'We had a ball, but she basically stopped making music soon after we finished.' Changing tides in the music world worked against any prospects the album may have had, Wells recalled. 'This was when disco was incredibly popular,' she said. 'The A&R guy from Sail would go around with me to the radio stations. The guy would drop the needle, listen for a short time, and say, 'Well, it's not disco.' I mean, der — it's not disco!' Advertisement The songs on 'Hometown Lady' give off echoes of Joan Baez and Janis Ian. It's evocative of its time and place, said Mcgowan, who grew up in Newton. 'When I started my label, I was zeroing in on anything I could find that was local,' he said. 'I was scratching an itch I didn't know I had, a connection with my place of origin.' What he heard in Wells's album was 'a specificity and a vibe. So much music is generic — it could be anyone, anywhere. She manages to evoke a very beautiful, earlier time.' Mcgowan specializes in what the record-collecting world now refers to as 'private press' recordings — the obscure, independently released albums from previous eras that have become ripe for reissue. His label reintroduced the music of a psychedelic folk-rocker from Detroit named Ted Lucas, and Mcgowan teamed with industry leader Light In the Attic on a landmark reappraisal of new age music called 'I Am the Center.' Pat Wells in her yard in New Hampshire. Jim Davis/Jim Davis for the Globe 'It turns out there was a massive number of incredibly talented people making albums in incredibly restricted circles,' Mcgowan said. 'There was no pipeline for a local artist to get into the mainstream. 'Virtually no one in Pat's position ever broke out of where they were. Only because of the internet have people started to be able to compare notes on their record finds.' It was the internet presence of Advertisement Jen Malone, a onetime Boston-based publicist, served as the music supervisor on 'Sirens.' The producers, she said, were initially hoping for Joni Mitchell songs to accompany scenes in episode three that feature Moore's character, Michaela, a powerful woman of means in the fictional, Nantucket-like town of Port Haven. Julianne Moore as Michaela and Kevin Bacon as Peter Kell in "Sirens." Macall Polay/Netflix/MACALL POLAY/NETFLIX Mitchell's songs weren't in the budget, Malone said in a phone call, so she consulted with a company that sources music options for film and television. When that company suggested Pat Wells, Malone took one listen, 'saw that she was from New England, and I was like, 'Done and done.' 'We love using undiscovered vintage catalog,' she explained. Wells's songs 'are in the background, but they're still very important to the palette of the show. To be a little part of that story and give her that platform, it's a great feeling.' Since the release of 'Sirens,' there's been a new flurry of activity for Wells. Mcgowan just posted 'Hometown Lady' on Spotify for the first time, and in early June he received confirmation that a British label will license another of her songs, 'The Seeker,' for an upcoming compilation of 'music for a fictitious tropical resort.' All of these unexpected developments have inspired Wells to think about picking up her guitar and writing some new music. Her voice may not be quite as angelic as it was in 1978, but 'the folks at church really like it,' she said. 'I tend to go right over the top.' Advertisement After remarrying, she and her second husband adopted several children from Ethiopia. It's important for her, she said, to show her adult children and her grandchildren — she has 11 — that creativity can strike at any time. 'I don't want this to be a story of, 'Oh, my dreams were dashed in 1978,'' she said. 'No. This is something great. Isn't it lovely that somebody heard me and said, 'We'd like to put this on our platform'?' For now, she's enjoying her retirement and the small pleasures of daily life. 'My tenant has a 2-year-old,' Wells said, 'and he was following me around as I was mowing the lawn with his bubbly lawn mower, with his ear protection on. That's wonderful.' James Sullivan can be reached at . James Sullivan can be reached at
