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Not just a blog, a philosophy

Daily Diversion #439: Well Read Women

Posted on January 10, 2020 by maedez

This was a gift from my bestie!

Reader’s Journal

Goodbye, Katherine Mansfield!

Posted on January 9, 2020 by maedez

Katherine Mansfield died on 9 January 1923.

Katherine Mansfield.

“When we begin to take our failures non-seriously, it means we are ceasing to be afraid of them.”–Katherine Mansfield

[Book Nerd News] Elizabeth Wurtzel Dies at 52

Posted on January 8, 2020 by maedez

Elizabeth Wurtzel: Prozac Nation author dies aged 52 [BBC]
Elizabeth Wurtzel, author of trailblazing memoir ‘Prozac Nation,’ dies at 52 [LA TIMES]

Nella Larsen on Imagination

Posted on January 5, 2020 by maedez

“Authors do not supply imaginations, they expect their readers to have their own, and to use it.”–Nella Larsen

Nella Larsen (1928). Photographed by James Allen.

[Book Nerd Links] Sonny Mehta, James Thurber, NPR, and Reading Resolutions

Posted on January 3, 2020 by maedez

Legendary editor and publisher Sonny Mehta has died. [LIT HUB]
Book Excerpt: James Thurber’s ‘Collected Fables’ [FLAVORWIRE]
NPR’s Book Concierge [NPR]
8 Bookish New Year’s Resolution Ideas To Improve Your Reading Life [BOOKRIOT]

[Book Nerd News] MC Beaton Dies at 83

Posted on January 2, 2020 by maedez

[Book Nerd News] William Luce, ‘Belle of Amherst’ and ‘Barrymore’ Playwright, Dies at 88

Posted on December 12, 2019 by maedez

WILLIAM LUCE, ‘BELLE OF AMHERST’ AND ‘BARRYMORE’ PLAYWRIGHT, DIES AT 88 [THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER]

Happy Belated Birthday, James Thurber!

Posted on December 10, 2019 by maedez

I was so busy over the weekend, that I didn’t get around to wishing my favorite hometown boy a happy birthday. He was born on 8 December 1894, right here in Columbus.

Here’s a link to my article about the Thurber House (which I now live very close to, incidentally).

GO HERE TO FIND OUT WHY 2019 IS THE YEAR OF THURBER

For Frank on Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day

Posted on December 7, 2019 by maedez

It’s that time of year again!

[Intermezzo] Wherein I Offer You a Few Disjointed but Heartfelt Memories of My Dead Friend Frank on Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day

Here Are Three Joan Didion Quotes in Honor of Her Birthday

Posted on December 5, 2019 by maedez

“We tell ourselves stories in order to live.”–The White Album

“I write entirely to find out what I’m thinking, what I’m looking at, what I see and what it means. What I want and what I fear.”

“I am a writer. Imagining what someone would say or do comes to me as naturally as breathing.”–The Year of Magical Thinking

R.I.P. Norman Lloyd (1914-2021)

Norman Lloyd, long a personal favorite of mine, was a fascinating man and performer. Norman Lloyd Dead [THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER]

R.I.P. Geoffrey Scott

Geoffrey Scott was from a younger generation than the performers I normally write about, but his handsome presence was ubiquitous during my 1980s childhood. From Dynasty to The Love Boat, Night Court, and Battle of the Network Stars, his charisma and acting ability lit up the small screen for decades. He will be missed. Geoffrey […]

Kirk Douglas: 1916-2020

[2019 Reel Infatuation Blogathon] But Baby Think of Me Once in Awhile: On Andy Travis as Television’s Best (and Hunkiest) Boss

Welcome to the 2019 Reel Infatuation Blogathon! Baby, If You’ve Ever Wondered: It still seems like yesterday that the idea for RI popped in my head. It was actually in December 2015, while in a hotel room getting ready for a holiday party, when it occurred to me that there was a gap in the classic […]

Announcing the 2019 Reel Infatuation Blogathon!

This is one of my favorite events of the year, and not just because I’m the co-hostess. It’s simply that good. And fun. Oh, so much fun! Here’s my original announcement. ANNOUNCING THE 2019 REEL INFATUATION BLOGATHON I hope you’ll join us!