Jane Hunt 1928-2019

Richard Hunt’s amazing mom Jane died earlier this week, just a month short of her 91st birthday. She was a wonderful lady and a big part of why he was such a great performer and kind person. She was also a great actor in her own right, performing and directing at Nyack’s Elmwood Theater for over 50 years. A resilient, exuberant and generous woman, she raised five great kids and encouraged hundreds of others to be their most authentic selves. Please enjoy this long interview we did early on in the book project. May her memory be for a blessing.

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Happy Birthday, Richard Hunt!

Celebrating Richard Hunt’s birthday, as ever, by working on his biography. Here’s a character who was a stand-in for Hunt himself in the early days of The Muppet Show: Scooter, a young, eager apprentice who quickly made himself an indispensible member of the troupe. Here he appears with Jerry Nelson as Floyd Pepper in a song that shows off their wonderful singing and dynamic together.

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Celebrating Stonewall 50: Two New Reviews!

My two new reviews in the Indypendent highlight how the LGBT movement is looking back at its history — and looking forward at the same time.

“Gay Old Brooklyn” is a review of Hugh Ryan’s new book When Brooklyn Was Queer, a delightful romp through the borough’s pre-Stonewall LGBTQ history.

Its companion piece, “After An Uprising”, reviews “Nobody Promised You Tomorrow: Art 50 Years After Stonewall,” a new Brooklyn Museum exhibit by local young LGBTQ+ artists. Enjoy!

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New Essay in Puppetry International!

So proud of my new piece, “Doing Good Work: Visiting the O’Neill National Puppetry Conference” in the latest Puppetry International! The narrative nonfiction piece gives you a sneak peek at what’s happening now in puppetry, as well as how contemporary puppeteers reach back to cultural ancestors like Richard Hunt.

You can read the article here!

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New Writing: “Harvey Milk’s Chutzpah”

I’m pleased to share my new review, “Harvey Milk’s Chutzpah”, in the brand-new issue of The Indypendent! The piece is a review of Lillian Faderman’s new biography of gay icon Harvey Milk. Ahh, the sweet satisfaction of seeing your work in print!

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Interview #92: Mark Hamill

I’m so grateful to the nearly 100 of Hunt’s family, friends and colleagues who have shared their stories and helped me understand him and his life. Mark Hamill contributed some especially good stories. Just another reason to look forward to Funny Boy!

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