I just finished reading The Doorman by Chris Pavone. The novel, which I highly recommend, is a bit of a potboiler. It focuses on the goings-on at a fictional grand apartment building in New York City called The Bohemia. 

In the novel, pretty much every social class is angry. Some extremely wealthy residents at The Bohemia are angry because newcomers to the building are not up to the standards formerly set—meaning people of color are resident. Other wealthy residents are angry because it is so exhausting cranking out the revenue needed to afford their lifestyles, which sometimes results in their being complicit in illegal deeds. Some residents’ wives are angry because they have become disillusioned with their unscrupulous spouses.

Protesters outside the building are angry because a White police officer killed an unarmed Black man. 

MAGA-supporters nearby are angry and coalescing around the building to protest the people protesting the Black man’s killing. 

Latinos who work at The Bohemia are angered by some of the absurd requests made by the spoiled and privileged residents. 

And the Doorman, Chicky, who has worked at The Bohemia for three decades, juggles all the requests of these various factions in an effort to keep the peace. He has his own set of issues as his wife has recently died and left him with mountains of medical bills and mountains of debt. 

What I loved about the novel is Pavone’s almost satirical portrayal of today’s society. So many Americans are angry. Why? 

After Trump’s first presidential victory, many analysts opined that White voters voted for Trump in the hopes that he would restore the racial hierarchy upended by Barack Obama. Wages for America’s working class had been stagnant for a long time. Workers were frustrated by foreign competition. And many Blacks and Latinos faced declining economic prospects. 

In short, many American voters, saw Obama’s reign as a signal that White voters were no longer at the top of the social scale, so they became angry and anxious. 

And then there was the double-whammy threat of Hillary, a woman, becoming president. Okay so first we have to deal with a Black man dethroning our former hierarchy and now a woman? What next?

The second time around, analysts opined that Trump won because many Americans were angry because they felt as though they were being ignored by “The Elites.” Voters saw Trump as a savior from that financial elite class, even though he was clearly one of them and his former tax cuts benefited those despised elites. Then there was the issue of millions of undocumented immigrants coming across our border, coupled with Trump’s opponent being not only a woman but a person of color. Hence, some voters became even angrier. 

So where are we today? Let’s just say there are a lot of angry people out there. It is estimated that during the “No Kings” resistance last Saturday, more than five million people participated in at least 2,000 protests. (An estimated 200,000 people attended Trump’s military parade, fewer than anticipated.) 

Experts claim that peaceful protests are actually a good idea when you feel a lack of control and a sense of hopelessness. They are a way of taking action and connecting with your community. And they are a helpful way of generating a sense of hope. Other actions to counteract a sense of despair and hopelessness are volunteering for worthy causes; reading books that inspire and lift spirits; and looking after yourself as best you can by focusing on self-care. 

Anger is often a double-edged sword. It can be a source of motivation and a catalyst for change. It can also lead to destructive behaviors, such as electing an unqualified leader who builds a dangerous and frighteningly incompetent administration. 

Maya Angelou once wrote, “Anger is like fire. It burns itself out, leaving behind only ashes of regret.” Given the number of people who protested last weekend, I’d say there is a lot of regret in America right now. 

Ironically, the situation brings to mind some lyrics from Trump’s favorite musical, Les Misérables, which opened at the Kennedy Center last week, “Do you hear the people sing? Singing the songs of angry men? “

Maria Grant was principal-in-charge of the federal human capital practice of an international consulting firm and is currently on the Board of Chesapeake Music. While on the Eastern Shore, she focuses on writing, reading, music, and nature.

Sheer perfection would be an apt description of the first three concerts in Chesapeake Music’s six-concert Chamber Music Festival series at The Ebenezer Theater in Easton. I attended all three concerts and left exhilarated, inspired, and anxious to hear the remaining three concerts this Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. These upcoming concerts also feature The Juilliard String Quartet, dubbed the most important American quartet in history!

Photo by Cal Jackson

Themed “Reflection and Celebration” in honor of its 40th year, this Festival’s first three concerts featured a thoughtful pairing of amazingly talented seasoned musicians coupled with inspirational rising-star musicians who exhibit impressive talent beyond their years. Such juxtapositioning epitomizes how far the festival has come over the last four decades and its exciting potential in years to come. 

Chamber music was first performed in intimate private settings such as palace chambers, drawing rooms, and residential parlors. Thanks to Paul and Joanne Prager, Chesapeake Music’s home at The Ebenezer Theater provides a similar intimate setting to listen to amazing music but also offers more accessibility to exceptional musical performances with better acoustics and comfortable seating.

Co-artistic directors of Chesapeake Music Marcy Rosen (who also co-founded Chesapeake Music) and Catherine Cho developed programs that showcase beloved favorites, including Boccherini, Schumann, Brahms, Beethoven, Dvořák, Haydn, Mozart, and Mendelssohn, as well as less well-known and more modern composers, such as Amy Beach and Cécile Chaminade. 

In addition to developing the programs, cellist Marcy Rosen and violinist Catherine Cho played several of the selected pieces accompanied by clarinetist and co-founder of Chesapeake Music J. Lawrie Bloom, pianist Robert McDonald, oboist Peggy Pearson, violist Zhanbo Zheng, and violinists/violists Todd Phillips and Carmit Zori. 

Two rising stars who also performed in several of those selections were cellist Sterling Elliott and pianist Albert Cano Smit. In addition, Elliott and Cano Smit played an Opus by Beach, and Cano Smit played two selections by Chaminade. These pieces were played to perfection and were a delightful opportunity to hear music with which audiences will surely want to become more familiar. 

This week’s Thursday, Friday, and Saturday concerts feature music by Mendelssohn, Farrenc, Smetana, Mozart, Widmann, Beethoven, Bonis, Schoenberg, and Fauré. For details about this week’s concerts and to purchase tickets, be sure to visit ChesapeakeMusic.org. 

Let’s never take for granted how fortunate we are to experience this caliber of music on the Eastern Shore. It is indeed a reflection of Chesapeake Music’s dedication and hard work, and a time to celebrate upcoming opportunities to hear phenomenal artistic talent perform glorious, inspirational music.

Maria Grant was principal-in-charge of the federal human capital practice of an international consulting firm and currently serves on the Board of Chesapeake Music. While on the Eastern Shore, she focuses on writing, reading, music, and nature.

We on the Eastern Shore sometimes fail to appreciate how lucky we are to have so many opportunities to listen to world-class music. Last Saturday’s concert at Easton’s Ebenezer Theater was a prime example of our good fortune. 

James Ehnes starred in Stradivari Nights accompanied by pianist Orion Weiss. The result was truly wondrous music flawlessly performed. 

Ehnes plays the “Marsick” Stradivarius violin of 1715. He performs in concert halls around the world, including at Carnegie Hall, with the Philadelphia Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, London Symphony, and Munich Philharmonic. He was the artist-in-residence with the National Arts Centre of Canada and an artistic partner with Artis-Naples. Ehnes began his violin studies at age five, was a protégé of Canadian violinist, Francis Chaplin at age 13, attended Juilliard, and has won many music awards, including two Grammy Awards. He currently is a professor of practice in violin at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. 

Orion Weiss is an American classical pianist and one of the most sought-after soloists and chamber music collaborists of his generation. Weiss studied at the Preucil School of Music in Iowa City and graduated from Juilliard, where he studied under Emanuel Ax. He has performed with many major orchestras of North America, as well as many around the world. Weiss released the final album in his recital trilogy called Arc III in 2025. One of Weiss’ greatest claims to fame is that he was asked with less than 24 hours’ notice to replace Andre Watts for a performance of Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No. 2 with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. The response was so overwhelming he was immediately asked to return for a Tchaikovsky performance later that year. 

 Last Saturday’s performance at the Ebenezer included Bach’s Violin Sonata in C minor BWV 1024, a work with considerable depth and complexity; Korngold’s Suite from Much Ado about Nothing, op. 11, a work with four movements each of which captures different aspects of Shakespeare’s play;  and my favorite, Grieg’s Violin Sonata No 3, Op. 45, a work with three movements that is characterized by a strong romantic style with overtones of Norwegian folk influences and often considered Grieg’s most mature work. 

The love, commitment, and mastery that Ehnes and Weiss had for this music was on full display during this glorious concert. The evening concluded with a well-deserved standing ovation and an encore performance of one of Korngold’s opera arias, a rare treat indeed.

A huge shoutout to Paul and Joanne Prager and Gabriela Montero for making these sensational concerts possible in the exceptional Ebenezer theater. We are beyond privileged to have access to these superb musical experiences right here in Easton. 

Be sure to check out two additional concerts in the series: Summertime with Gershwin with Paul Merkelo on June 28, and Night at the Opera with Michael Fabiano on July 5. 

Also, tickets for Chesapeake Music’s 2025 Chamber Music Festival held from June 6 through 14 at the Ebenezer Theater, are currently on sale at ChesapeakeMusic.org. These concerts feature world-class performers, rising stars, and members of the world-renowned illustrious Juilliard String Quartet. 

Maria Grant was principal-in-charge of the federal human capital practice of an international consulting firm. While on the Eastern Shore, she focuses on writing, reading, music, and nature.

The author, public speaker, and humorist Fran Lebowitz displayed an incredible amount of energy, wit, and wisdom at Saturday night’s Avalon performance in Easton. The evening was pure delight filled with frank and refreshingly honest comments about modern life and politics. Here are just a few of Fran’s viewpoints that I’ve been thinking about the last few days. 

Fran: I’m 74-years-old. America will never elect a woman president in my lifetime. Why? Because white men just can’t handle that concept. They want things to go back to the 50’s where white men were in charge. And if not a white man, at least a man. 

I don’t want this to be true but perhaps it is. Fran talked about how many countries have had women leaders—even Mexico. If Democrats want to win the next election she said they should nominate a white male. She suggested Sheldon Whitehouse, the senator from Rhode Island. Just think about that last name, she said. He would be perfect. 

Fran: Don’t give Justice John Roberts the benefit of the doubt. He’s quieter than some of the others. But he’s also responsible for the sorry state of the current Supreme Court.

 I totally agree with this statement. I’ve been severely disappointed in Roberts’ positions and voting history on a myriad of issues. And don’t forget, Roberts and four other Justices ruled to strike down limits on how much money can be spent on political campaigns, resulting in obscene amounts of money virtually buying some elections. 

Fran: I don’t understand parents’ attitudes towards their grown children in their 30’s and 40’s. My parents did not support me after I went to college. I was totally on my own. 

I agree with Fran on this too. One of the best things my mom did for me was when she said, “I paid for your college education. Now you are on your own.” I knew I had to fend for myself, and I did. 

Fran: I don’t have a computer or a cell phone. Why? Nobody needs immediate communication with me. I’m not a neurosurgeon who needs to be on-call. 

Though most of us can’t imagine life without being glued to our devices, once again, Fran has something here. She spends much of her time reading–a much better use of time than the endless streaming and scrolling that many of us do. 

Fran: I’m more concerned about the decline of American intelligence than the rise of artificial intelligence. I worry about the decline of individualistic thinking alongside a lack of unique opinions. 

I couldn’t agree more. Fran also encouraged young people to get involved, to run for something and take charge of creating the politics that they want to see.

Fran: I love New York because it’s the only place in the world where you can walk down the street and see all kinds of people doing all kinds of things and no one pays any attention. 

Fran’s comments make you once again appreciate the magic of NYC. Even with all its problems, it truly is a place like no other. 

It’s interesting to me that people of all age groups appreciate Lebowitz, including those of many different political persuasions. Perhaps it’s because she doesn’t care whether you like her or not—whether you agree with her or not. She is who she is. And she does a great job of reminding us how crazy many of society’s foibles are.

We can all learn lessons from the value of refreshing candor, especially in this current political environment where so many public figures have become embarrassing pandering sycophants. 

Maria Grant was principal-in-charge of the federal human capital practice of an international consulting firm. While on the Eastern Shore, she focuses on writing, reading, music, and nature.

It’s interesting to analyze the effects that various administrations have had on the current state of America. Of course, in a democracy, campaigns are built on the promise of change. Yet, how much sense does it make to take a wrecking ball to almost everything your predecessor has built? How about adopting the concept of saving the best and leaving the rest?

Over the last 65 years, the U.S. went from liberals John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson to conservatives Richard Nixon and Ford, to liberal Jimmy Carter, to conservatives Ronald Reagan and George Bush, to liberal Bill Clinton, to another conservative Bush, to liberal Barack Obama, to a so-called conservative Trump, to a liberal Joe Biden, and then back to a second Trump who has been labelled an extreme right-wing autocrat. 

Each of these so-called whipsaw or flashback political agendas meant that agendas got started and then stalled, started then stalled, and on and on. One president wants the government to promote racial and economic equality and equity. The next wants laissez-faire government. One president calls climate change an existential threat and makes responding to it a top priority. The next wants to eliminate environmental controls. One wants to stop drilling. The next wants to drill baby drill. One cares about improving the infrastructure. The next wants to cut government spending. One wants the wealthy to pay more taxes. The next wants to reduce taxes on the wealthy. 

The result is stymied progress on many initiatives and overall slow going on getting much accomplished, plus a ton of waste and unnecessary spending. 

Trump rescinded Obama’s orders on the Dakota Access pipeline. Obama reversed a ban on abortion funding that George Bush restored, that Clinton revoked, and that Reagan created. 

Nixon tried and failed to dismantle Johnson’s Great Society, and Bush tried and failed to change Social Security. 

President Biden signed an executive order to reinstate the 2015 Paris climate agreement that Trump withdrew from in his first term. Then Biden revoked Trump’s presidential permit granted to the Keystone pipeline. Already in his second term, Trump has signed more than 137 executive orders—everything from. withdrawing from the World Health Organization, to rolling back Federal recognition of gender identity, to pardoning more than 1,500 January 6 rioters, to attempting to end birthright citizenship for new children of undocumented immigrants. 

A majority of Americans think this pull and push of various initiatives is a good thing as things don’t go too far to the right or to the left. But is it really? We were making progress on environmental issues. Now, much of that progress is being dismantled. How soon will we be back to square one? 

Cancer and other healthcare research were moving forward. Now much of the grant and research funding has been cancelled. And four years from now, it’s not a particularly easy task to pick up the ball and continue where you left off.

In addition, all this push and pull results in an increasingly polarized America. Democrats and Republicans both have increasing contempt for the opposing party. Many politically active Americans think the opposing party is misguided and a threat to the well-being of the country.

A majority of Americans prefer a political philosophy that is not too far right or too far left—they want a middle-of-the road consensus.

Let’s juxtapose that philosophy with what is happening in China. China’s economic growth over the last 40 years has been the largest and longest lasting in world history. Its GDP has risen at 10 percent per year for the last several years. In 1990, China’s share of global industrial production was 2.5 percent. Today it is 35 percent, as much as the next ten industrial economies combined. China is the leader in green production, such as solar panels and has made great leaps forward in technology and science. 

A big reason for China’s advances in infrastructure, technology, and research and development has been its relatively stable political and economic policies. China also has a relatively decentralized system which stimulates competition. Plus, China has reduced its dependence on coal and moved to more renewable resources. Yet in spite of its huge growth spurt, China still lags behind the U.S. in household wealth, social services, and consumer power parity.

There is no question that escalating trade wars between the two countries along with the proposed tariffs will increase economic uncertainty for both countries in the coming months. And both countries will need to adapt to an increasingly complex global economy. 

China has the advantage of moving forward in a consistent direction given its authoritarian government. The U.S. advantage is in its soft power—that is the support it has from other countries—a support that is currently dwindling thanks to Trump’s pro-Russia stance on the Russia/Ukraine peace talks and his alienating economic policies with other countries. That is unfortunate. 

It is also unfortunate that so many presidents feel compelled to destroy so much of what their predecessors have accomplished. The concept of keeping the good stuff and getting rid of the bad has been foreign to so many presidents. 

Opportunities are multiplied when they are seized. Instead of dismantling everything your predecessor did, it makes much more sense to seize the good stuff, make it even better, and maybe even take credit for doing so. It sure would help the United States move forward in terms of prosperity, innovation, and discovery.

The Desert Rose Band said it best: “One step forward two steps back. Nobody gets too far like that. One step forward two steps back. This kind of dance can never last.”

Maria Grant was principal-in-charge of the federal human capital practice of an international consulting firm. While on the Eastern Shore, she focuses on writing, reading, music, and nature.