updates

Saturday was the National Book Festival, which was kind of disappointing, due my inability to see any of the authors I actually wanted to. I missed Charles Simic, Patricia MacLachlan, Ken Burns, and a few others who would have been interesting to at least pop in on. It was also hot and dusty, and next year I'm going to have to plan better. The highlight was the state tent, where each state devoted a table to their literacy programs, authors from the state, etc. Some states, (much like my birthplace), put together impressive tables, with lots of free things (like Necco wafers), while others were kind of sad.

Also of note:

• The brunch at the Heights is really excellent. I've tried the French toast with pecans and caramel and the crab, asparagus and cheddar omelet and both have been good — flavorful, perfect portions, and inventive in a way that most brunches are not. I want to try RedRocks brunch soon, especially since I went there for dinner last night, and it had greatly improved from my first visit. The buffalo burrata was pretty much perfect — decorated with oil and sea salt, the cheese was a perfect complement to the bread, and I could have easily put away a whole dish myself. I also tried the cheese pizza, after reading the DCist pizza debate, and it wasn't bad, aside from the fact that the dough was so thin in the middle that i was impossible to pick up.

• The new Morris Louis exhibit at the Hirshhorn is really worth going to see. Friday is Hirshhorn After Hours, which will pretty much fulfill my goal of having a cocktail party in a room filled with Washington Color School art on the walls.

• There are a number of other recently-opened exhibits that I need to check out, including J.M.W. Turner and Edward Hopper at the National Gallery and Asher Durand at the American Art Museum. I'm hoping for an NGA visit this weekend, although Saturday is Taste of Bethesda, so I might not head down there until Sunday.

I have a lot of writing to do this week, in part for the Blade's "Best of Gay D.C." issue, and a lot of reading for class, so blogging might be scarce.