Once upon a time, in a far away land, The Boss assigned me a secretary. Not part of a pool, but a whole person. With a master’s degree from Mt. Holyoke. Pretty daunting, me with my little B.A. from Hofstra…. Read More ›
Personal
ONCE UPON A TIME
Garry was watching an old movie, “A Letter to Three Wives.” He thought the whole concept of writing letters was kaput. No one writes letters anymore. We may dash off a note on a card, but a whole letter? “When,”… Read More ›
HARD DAYS FOR A CONSCIENCE
There are a lot of things we don’t know about the people who came before us. We don’t know how or why they dressed and spoke and related to each other as people in their society. We are fuzzy about… Read More ›
PAGING PONCE DE LEON
Carly Simon is in my head a lot these days singing, “You’re So Vain”. After decades of seeming perpetual youth in my career as a reporter, the portrait in my attic has become an illusion. It’s something with which most people… Read More ›
BITTER ROOTS
I am named after an aunt I never met. In my style of Jewish family, you don’t name babies after living people. Only after those who have passed. This is not true in all Jewish families. It depends on where… Read More ›
IT’S ONLY A PAPER MOON
I noticed I have about an equal number of religious and atheist friends. That probably means I’m doing something right. If you get right down to it, I believe in you. And me. I believe in intelligence. I believe we each have… Read More ›
THE CYNIC WAS RIGHT
My mother was not a regular kind of mom. This confused me a lot while I was growing up. Other mothers made cookies, kissed boo-boos. Hung out with the other mothers in summertime. Swapped recipes. Watched soap operas. My mother didn’t bake… Read More ›
JE NE REGRETTE RIEN
Fandango’s Provocative Question #122 I stand with Edith Piaf. I regret nothing except, perhaps, things I might have done, but didn’t. I find myself with little to regret. I wish we’d put more money away, but I didn’t have anything to… Read More ›
KNOWING ALFRED EISENSTAEDT
Maybe it doesn’t matter but maybe it does.
A GLANCE BACKWARD – RICH PASCHALL
Your younger self, by Rich Paschall A few years ago another blogger suggested a book to read (The Letter Q) that is a collection of letters certain writers would send to their younger selves, if only they could. Some letters… Read More ›
PHOTOGRAPHIC MEMORIES AND KNOWING ALFRED EISENSTAEDT
The first time I went to the Vineyard, it was my honeymoon — to my first husband and the year was 1965. I didn’t know anything about the Vineyard. I hadn’t even known it was there, but we were looking… Read More ›
TELLING YOUR STORY – RICH PASCHALL
Finding Your Own Voice, by Rich Paschall What is the best way to relate something? When do you communicate well? What is it that gets your point across? When does your voice stand out in a sea of voices? How… Read More ›
THE RABBIS BY THE WESTERN WALL
My favorite place in Jerusalem was the Western Wall, sometimes incorrectly called the “Wailing Wall.” In Hebrew, it’s Kotel — it rhymes with motel. I used to go to the Kotel to pray and leave messages for God. I loved the… Read More ›
WHITE SUPREMACISTS ARE NOT THE ONLY RACISTS
I had a major battle on Amazon about a book I said was racist. A lot of people said “No, it isn’t. The author is an avowed Boston liberal.” I’m sure he said he was and he probably believes it’s… Read More ›
NO SAFE PLACE?
It was an ordinary day in the suburb of Jerusalem where I managed a weekly English-language newspaper. I had fallen into the job when the previous editor quit — after his paycheck bounced. Twice. Me too, but I wanted the paper to succeed, and… Read More ›
MY BEST-EVER JOB
Fandango’s Dog Days of August #30: MY BEST JOB EVER I had been looking for a job that would let me flex my hours so Garry and I could spend time together. It was difficult. He worked terribly long hours, gone… Read More ›
BITTER ROOTS
I am named after an aunt I never met. In my version of Jewish family, you don’t name babies after living people. Only after those who have passed. This is not true in all Jewish families. It depends on where… Read More ›
UNEQUAL TERMS – Marilyn Armstrong
While I was growing up, mostly in the late 1950s and early 1960s, I knew there was plenty of inequality to go around. Whether you were non-white or non-Christian, or a woman, there was plenty of prejudice and bigotry to… Read More ›
NOT GETTING A NOSE JOB – Marilyn Armstrong
I don’t remember how many times my mother told me this story, or how many times I have told it to you. It bears retelling especially since racism and bigotry are the words of the month and maybe, the year…. Read More ›
‘CAUSE EVERYTHING’S FINE RIGHT NOW – Marilyn Armstrong
We all know that everything isn’t fine right now but this song reminds me of times when everything was fine. I hope I’m still around when they are fine again. Music triggers memory for me as nothing else can, transporting… Read More ›
SERENDIPITY: SEEKING INTELLIGENT LIFE ON EARTH 