Old School corn milling – Mutianyu, Beijing, China

In February, 2010, I was in beijing for a final reporting trip for Big in China. I wanted to have a little writ'ers escape and the kind folks at the Schoolhouse, hard by the Mutianyu Great Wall were kind enough to give me a beautiful little…
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Checking in from Aspen – Aspen Times and hiking to 13,700 feet.

The Aspen Times did a nice story on me and my reading today. We've been in Aspen all week for a working vacation. Rebecca is finishing up an Aspen Institute fellowship and I am doing a reading at the great Explore Books today (Friday,…
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Being Jewish in China and Discovering What Really Matters

When my wife and I decided to move our family from Maplewood, NJ to Beijing in 2005 we weren't really sure what it would mean for our Jewish life. We were prepared to scale it back for a few years, and to take more responsibility for keeping…

Big in China is “engaging, adventurous, bighearted” – and recommended

I woke up to a nice surprise this am when I logged onto my email and saw a Google Alert. Big In China was reviewed in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, which called the "very engaging, adventurous & bighearted." Beijing Today also has the…

Reviews from Shanghai and Portland

City Weekend Shanghai just ran a very nice Big In China review, which hails Eli as an expat sage. "Though most people don’t move here, form bands and get China-famous, readers will resonate with the family’s myriad of emotions: excitement…

Gigging – one down , one to go

I just got back from a great, two-song appearance with MoodRing at the South Orange Performing Arts Center. Great sound on a big stage, which I was happy to share with my friends in Juicebox. Thanks to those who came. Long, relaxed acoustic…

Ladies and gentleman, on the lap steel and harmonica, Mr. Woodie Wu!

Just a little tribute in photos and video to my friend and bandmate, Mr. Wu Mengke - Woodie Wu.    

Why summer camp is a great thing: my day as a 44-year-old camper

I recently became a camper for the first time in almost 30 years when I spent a day at Camp Coleman in Cleveland, Georgia. Technically, I was more of a counselor, since I spent 24 hours there meeting with campers to talk about travel, writing,…

Expat Women Interview with me, a Man….

‎"One of my big takeaways of expat life is that there are a million different realities that any one person might live at any one time and all of them may be equally valid." There's a new, very nice interview with me all about Big In China…

“Beijing Blues” with Andy Aledort and the Groove Kings

From my second Big in China book release party, at Highland Place in Maplewood. I really can barely begin to describe what a pleasure it was to play several gigs with these guys. Andy is a real master. And it meant a lot to roll out my songs…