A NEW JOURNEY BEGINS Sunday, May 22, 2011 marked the end of the first year of my blog. The entries are 300 in number rather than 365 as I write 5 days a week and I took two book tours during which time the blog fell silent. Still, I marvel at the effort and rewards of reaching out to

ENTERING THE TWILIGHT ZONE Yesterday, I wrote about doppelgangers, shadows of our potential other selves, the theme from Henry James’ short story, “The Jolly Corner” (blog: 5/18/2011). After my experience today, I wonder if there is a word for meeting one’s past as a p

THE CLOAK OF INVISIBILITY IS MORE THAN FICTION Recently, I met Gloria Steinem at a television interview and had an opportunity to ask her a question. It was one I’d been thinking about for a while and was unable to resolve. If, I asked, President Obama were considering a national po

MORE THOUGHTS ON FRIENDSHIP “Doppelganger” is a name for an alter ego, usually presumed to be someone who is dead or in another dimension, though not necessarily. One of the most fascinating doppelganger stories is a work of fiction by Henry James called “The Jolly Corner,&#

THE DOUBLE SUNRISE SHELL For his birthday, I recently took a friend to lunch at an Italian restaurant. I would have loved a glass of wine but as he wanted none, I also refrained. He would have loved a bite of my dessert if I had ordered it, but I seldom eat sweets. While he sat amazed

CONSPIRACY THEORY ONE TRILLION AND ONE Recently, a friend sent me information on a group that is attempting to “educate” people about United Nation’s Security Council Resolution 21, established in 1947, which these patriots believe is a ploy by certain power brokers to achieve w

Yes, “Puppet on a String,” that’s it. Wow! Thanks for the memory!

Saw your blog about the Euro song fest. I remember them as far back as the 1960s. England had a winner one of those years, a catchy tune that I can no longer remember. How lovely to be taken back to that special time and place of my youth. I had no idea thoses fests were still continu

LOOKING FOR A PATTERN Eric Hoffer was an unschooled, original thinker who was frowned upon by academia despite his literary acclaim. His most recognized book, “The True Believer,” explains how mass movements arise and, given events in the Middle East, it has gained a new r

THE LAST LAUGH When I was an undergraduate, my college put juniors through a grueling set of qualifying exams before they could enter their senior year. These exams occupied eight hours so that by dinner time, students staggered to the cafeteria, squinting like ground hogs on the firs