Emily Hurd

We passed a big milestone this week.  My daughter has been a Madison Children’s Hospital patient since she was born.  On Friday, we got the news that she’s in the clear, and we no longer need to see her craniofacial…

On Saturday, I went to Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago to see the one-man play starring Brendan Hunt (aka Coach Beard from Ted Lasso). It was inspiring on a lot of levels. The stage set-up was simple—just a couch and end…

Last week, I took members of my restaurant staff to Dancing Goat distillery in Cambridge, Wisconsin for their first ever Gin Academy.  We each got to use a still to craft a bottle of gin using our choice of 24…

OCD runs in my family. My dad had it.  I have it.  And my son was diagnosed with it. For us, it manifests as excessive checking, living our lives through rituals, and having cycles of intrusive thoughts.

We’re a lot…

I celebrated my late father’s birthday last week by walking through the woods where his ashes are scattered.  I drank a little scotch.  I talked to him like he was walking with me.  It felt nice. 

When I looked down,…

Most magicians are masters of making things appear and disappear.  

By this definition, time spent with New Yorkers last week felt like real magic to me.

I loved spending days outside in Washington Square Park, chatting up musicians, reading, watching…

Dear Reader, I'm in New York City with my family.  Today, we played in Central Park, went to the Statue of Liberty (somehow more impactful than I ever imagined), and ate the best ice cream I've ever had. More from…

Ever have one of those weeks where you wish you could catch a break?  

That was last week.  

Between the state of the world and an onslaught of problems at home, I was looking for something positive to happen.  Because…

We lost power for about 24 hours this week. Our local school lost power too, so the kids were home in the dark with me.  Without missing a beat, they lit candles, hauled out the acrylics, and started painting an…

I’ve never worked harder on a record than I have on the one I’m making now.  

I’m headed back into the studio again this week, recording the same song I’ve tried to capture a dozen times.  Yesterday, I thought I…