Let Them Eat Cake!
Let them eat cake! MARIE ANTOINETTEAustrian archduchess and last queen of France1755—1793 Marie or Not Marie? That is the Question! To answer the question: Not Marie. First, there’s the questionable translation of what was a quote attributed to a variety of royals long before Marie Antoinette ascended to the throne: Qu’ils mangent de la brioche! […]
One More Drink …
Dorothy Parker Dorothy Parker, American poet, writer, critic, and satirist (1893—1967), was renowned for her sharp wit and often acerbic jibes—sometimes self-deprecating. Given the era and places in which she lived, the social dinner and party circuits were part of the package. Parker’s penchant for drinking in excess was not a secret. Her biographer, Marion […]
A Martini, Shaken, Not Stirred
A martini, shaken, not stirred. SEAN CONNERYScottish actor1930—2020As the character James Bond in the 1964 film Goldfinger written by Richard Maibaum and Paul Dehn A Bonding Experience There are few fictional characters whose place in the pantheon of contemporary culture is as global or as intergenerational as British author Ian Fleming’s master spy, James […]
The Reference Room
The Reference Room? Yes, the reference room. I began my career as a reference publisher, editor, writer, and educator back in those days before the existence of the Word Wide Web. So, it should come as no surprise that libraries were my home away from home; the Reference Room always my happy place. Trading tips […]