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Hindustan Times
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Review: Three Days in June by Anne Tyler
At 83, the Pulitzer Prize winning-American writer Anne Tyler is out with her 25th novel, Three Days in June. This story of a Baltimorean reaffirms her reputation for writing about family, love, ageing, heartbreak and infidelity in their rawest forms. A view of Baltimore where Anne Tyler's novel is set. (Shutterstock) 193pp, ₹558; Vintage Digital This book's protagonist 61-year-old Gail Baines began as a teacher in Mathematics in the local high school but left teaching to pursue her role as the assistant to the headmistress. Being an administrator suited her fine until the headmistress tells her of her retirement and pleads with Gail to take voluntary retirement as well. This has happened on the day before her daughter Debbie's wedding. There is an errand to run, the salon to visit, and the rehearsal dinner to attend. The excitement of the wedding has already sapped Gail. Then, her ex-husband arrives at her doorstep with a cat in tow. Set across three days in June, the reader follows Gail as she navigates sharing space with Max after two decades, deals with the hiccups in her daughter's wedding, and recalls times gone by that have left her in a state. Wise and moving, the story is full of the sharp observations and humour so common in Tyler's works. The author knows how to pin her reader down from the first page. The novel begins with: 'People don't tap their watches anymore; have you noticed?' From the title indicating the temporal to the first line zeroing in on a wrist watch, it is clear that Three Days in June is as much about time as it is about a woman's life. In her past novels, time and memory feature significantly and provide insights into her characters. Recall Pearl and her son going through a box of photographs in Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant, or the structure of The Amateur Marriage that follows Michael and Pauline over the course of their lives. Tyler works with time similarly in this novel. Gail is confronted by the prospect of being overtaken by age, by her employer telling her that she 'lacks people skills', her daughter leaving her for a married life, and the past running into her present. As the wedding approaches, time and memory clamber to the forefront and offers Gail the opportunity to think over her decisions. Less than 200 pages long, the novel presents Tyler's emerging preference for writing shorter books. Her 2015-Booker shortlisted A Spool of Blue Thread, which runs into 370 pages, was the novel she thought she'd never stop writing. The next four books were not as long but were still full of beauty and charm. Gail's story is a stunning portrait of a woman who realizes, 'I'm too young for this… Not too old, as you might expect, but too young, too inept, too uninformed.' When she asks, 'Why did everyone just assume I knew what I was doing?' the readers can hear the cracks and vulnerability in her voice. This book really is a remarkable example of writing less but more on every page. The winning point arrives with Tyler's meditation on marriage, relationships, and infidelity. On the day of the wedding rehearsal, Debbie cries to her parents that her fiancé has been unfaithful. While Max says the wedding should not be called off, Gail, who is insistent on protecting her daughter, is vehemently opposed to it. At her father's reaction, Debbie bursts out: 'Men just think these things are normal'. But then she takes his suggestion to speak to her fiancé before calling things off. Gail is haunted by the memory of her marriage to Max and the events leading up to their divorce. As her daughter decides on a decision that suits her, she wonders what makes people stay together. As in every Anne Tyler novel, the reader is driven, through Gail, to ponder over questions: why do families exist? What made love between two people exist as a being that has a life of its own? What becomes of people who promised a forever before God and then turned away from their promises? Author Anne Taylor (Courtesy The Booker Prize) The first-person narrative style takes the reader into the working of Gail's mind. She is witty, humorous, and projects an air of nonchalance. Like Patrick Modiano and Alice Munro, Tyler lets her characters reveal themselves. And just when a reader thinks they know the character through and through, they are surprised. Those devoted readers who have grown up being lost and found in Anne Tyler's Baltimore are sure to enjoy this book; those who are new to her work will find Three Days in June is a great introduction to her inimitable style. Rahul Singh is a PhD candidate in Sociology at Presidency University, Kolkata. He writes about books at (@rahulzsing) X and (@fook_bood) Instagram.
USA Today
19-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Baltimore Ravens preseason dates to circle
It's not just football talking season anymore, as Baltimore Ravens training camp has opened. Rookies reported to camp this past week, and that means the preseason is here It's not just football talking season anymore, as the Baltimore Ravens training camp has opened. Rookies reported to camp this past week, and that means the preseason is here. The first public viewing practice, at the Under Armour Performance Center, is just a few days away. And Under Armour is about as Maryland as crab soup, Old Bay, and Babe Ruth (he's forever a New York Yankee, but has pure Baltimorean roots). The company is based in Baltimore and was founded by Kevin Plank, a Kensington, Maryland native and University of Maryland graduate. If you're heading to the Under Armour facility in Owings Mills, MD, or following along online and in other media, here are the dates to note. Wednesday, July 23 The first open practice of training camp commences this Wednesday. If you want to catch the action, then you've got to get in and grab a good seat on the bleachers by 2:15 p.m. August 3 (Stadium Practice): 3:00 p.m. ET Every NFL team does a special day/evening practice at their home stadium, with these events having various branding names. "Stadium Practice" is a fantastic opportunity for people who can't really afford the sky-high price of game tickets to get in and see the venue. It's also a very family-friendly event. Tuesday, August 5 (Joint Practice with Colts): 1:00 p.m. ET It's the first opportunity to learn something about the overall quality of this team. And then we may learn a little more when these two teams square off two days later. August 7: Ravens vs. Colts – 7 p.m. ET (NFL Network) It's the Ravens' only nationally televised preseason game, and it's their only home preseason game this summer. Tuesday, August 12 The final open practice of 2025 kicks off at 1:30 p.m. ET. And wraps. August 16: Ravens at Cowboys – 7 p.m. ET It's a rematch (sort of, because obviously, the lineups will be entirely different) of the Ravens' first win in 2024, which came in week three. Baltimore's 28-25 victory came mainly on the strength of Derrick Henry, who rushed for 151 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries. August 23: Ravens at Commanders – noon ET The famous third preseason game, which conventional wisdom tells us is the closest to a real game (traditionally) of the whole preseason slate, is only 34 days away now. When it arrives, it'll be another edition of the Beltway rivalry, which the Ravens won 30-23 on October 13.
UPI
19-07-2025
- Health
- UPI
Five hospitalized in another mass drug overdose incident in Baltimore
Baltimore police and fire personnel respond to a mass casualty overdose incident in West Baltimore on July 10. Another overdose incident was reported Friday in the same area. Photo courtesy of Baltimore Police Department/X July 19 (UPI) -- Five people in Baltimore were hospitalized for a reported mass overdose incident, one week after 27 were sickened in the same area of the city because of a "bad batch" of drugs, police said. The victims Friday were in serious condition, Baltimore Fire Chief James Wallace said at a news conference, including addition to two who refused treatment after first responders deployed Narcan. The 911 calls started coming just before 9 a.m. Friday and not from a concentrated area as last week, police said. Both incidents are in the historic Penn North neighborhood of West Baltimore. "People have already heard what is out here and yet they still gotta go get it because their body is calling for it," one man who goes by the nickname 'Slim Rob' told WJZ-TV. "It's heartbreaking, man. It's heartbreaking. You got people's mothers, fathers, aunts and uncles, grandparents out here -- and the kids need them and yet they need that when you can be gone like this." On July 10, people were hospitalized in the incident in West Baltimore, which law enforcement officers and community advocates called a "bad batch of drugs." BPD & @BaltimoreFire are on scene at the intersection of Pennsylvania & North Avenues in reference to multiple individuals experiencing overdose symptoms. More information to follow as it becomes available. Baltimore Police (@BaltimorePolice) July 10, 2025 "We understand that the supply across the city is very volatile right now," Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott said. "If you see someone who may be overdosing, help them. If you have Narcan, administer it. Call 911. Don't walk past anyone who may be experiencing an overdose. "You can literally save their life by stepping in. That person is a human, that person is a Baltimorean." Police Commissioner Richard Worley said the incidents are being investigated separately. "We also have numerous officers working the area having to locate who the buyers were, who the sellers were and mainly who is bringing the drugs into the area," Worley said. Five people were arrested three days later on July 13 in the area on a charge of drug possession with intent to distribute. It's unclear if the arrested were linked to the mass overdose, according to Baltimore police. "I understand the frustration," Scott said about Penn North residents, who felt their concerns have been ignored. "We're talking about a neighborhood ... that has been so disinvested in for so long. We're not going to change that overnight." Scientists from the National Institute of Standards and Technology who examined substances from last week said they contained fentanyl, a powerful painkiller; methylclonazepam, which has sedative effects; Mannitol, a diuretic; quinine, an anti-malaria drug; and caffeine. Narcan, which is the brand name of naloxone, and fentanyl strips were distributed to the affected neighborhood last week. "Today's incident is a painful reminder that our work is far from over," Scott said. In Baltimore, opioid overdose deaths reached a high of 1,006 in 2021 and dropped to 895 in 2022 before going back up to 952 in 2023. Last year, there were 698 opioid overdose-related deaths in the city, according to state data. "People fade away -- they've got agendas, other things to do," Vincent Timmons, an outreach specialist at Tuerk House, told the Baltimore Banner. "People don't remember that area. They're used to that."
E&E News
13-05-2025
- Politics
- E&E News
Crockett, Mfume plow ahead with House Oversight bids
Rep. Jasmine Crockett is telling fellow House Democrats she plans to run for her party's Oversight Committee slot, plowing ahead with a bid after wavering last week, according to a text to lawmakers obtained by POLITICO. 'I believe in deference & frankly, the institution, but I recognize that the walls of this institution are collapsing around us and we are living in EXTRAORDINARY times, which call for an extraordinary response which is why I will seek the position of ranker for the Committee on Oversight & Government Reform,' the Texas Democrat wrote to lawmakers. 'I am asking for your consideration because I possess the merit to serve in THIS moment.' Crockett told POLITICO last week she was rethinking whether to seek the top job after Rep. Kweisi Mfume (D-Md.) ramped up his own quiet outreach for the position. She cited seniority concerns and the potential that the Congressional Black Caucus could be divided. Advertisement Mfume is also reaching out to colleagues about his interest in the slot. In those messages, he invoked late Oversight Chair Elijah Cummings, a civil rights legend and fellow Baltimorean who led the committee during President Donald Trump's first term, according to a copy of the message obtained by POLITICO.
CBS News
28-03-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Beloved Sabatino's waitress "Peachy" retiring after nearly 50 years
Leonora "Peachy" Dixon, an authentic Baltimore jewel, is hanging up her uniform after serving customers at Little Italy's Sabatino's for nearly 50 years. The longtime waitress will work her final shift on Saturday before retiring and moving to Havre De Grace to be with her grandchildren. Peachy has greeted hungry patrons for about 70% of the 70 years the restaurant has been open. "I'm gonna cry because this is my life here, you know," Peachy said. "And I'm gonna miss it terribly, you know I am." Peachy's parents immigrated from Italy to Highlandtown, where she still lives, in the house where she was born. There's no menu needed when ordering from Peachy. She knows it all. The Dulaneys, who are regulars at Sabatino's, remember when the restaurant stayed open until 3 a.m. "People would flood from the bars, and they'd be lined up here out the door," Mr. Dulaney said. "A single guy would come in here and get spaghetti and meatballs," Peachy recalled. "Next thing I know, his head would be right in the meatballs, and this is in the summertime when they used to have outdoor seating." Peachy says one of the first guests she saw at Sabatino's was Frank Sinatra. "The first week I worked here," Peachy said. "No, I didn't wait on him. Oh my God, I'd just started waiting here." Peachy said Sinatra arrived in a limousine and was greeted by a crowd outside the restaurant. "When Frank Sinatra's limousine pulled up outside, all the old ladies were out with their aprons, you know, he hugged and kissed each one of them," Peachy said. "He was so nice." Peachy served other celebrities, including actress and singer Debbie Reynolds and actor Johnny Depp. "Johnny Depp sat there, Johnny Depp sat at that table right there," Peachy said. "And when I came to him, I went, 'Oh my God,' cause he had those eyes, and I didn't know it was him until I started taking his order." Peachy got her nickname from a priest at a church. "When I was little, he said, 'You got peachy cheeks, and my family heard it, and that was it, because of the priest," Peachy said. If you are a long-time Baltimorean, city councilman Mimi Dipietro was Peachy's uncle. In the 1970s, when Peachy was a single mom and needed a job, Mimi called Sabatino's. Hours and hours of walking the carpets of Sabatino's dining rooms and sidewalks of East Baltimore are all chronicled in Peachy's three autobiographies. Peachy's autobiographies and one novel, "The Baltimore Bookies," are still on sale at bookstores around Baltimore. "I have a peachy life," she said. "I've had a peachy life here."
