RENOIR DRAWINGS—ENJOYING THEM FROM AFAR
THE MORGAN LIBRARY & MUSEUM, 225 Madison Avenue at 36th Street, is a continent away from me, but through electronic wizardry and the Morgan’s kindness, I am able to share … Continue reading
CELEBRATING THE 100th ANNIVERSARY OF THE MOTEL
MEGAN MCCREA CELEBRATES “100 YEARS of the Motel: Neon Signs, Swimming Pools, and American Dreams,” The New York Times, October 22, 2025. What fun, even if experienced armchair-fashion! Here are … Continue reading
INDEPENDENCE FOR WHOM? PART 2
YESTERDAY, OUR CIVICS LESSON BEGAN with The Atlantic’s “Independence for Whom?” Part 1 and Jefferson’s stirring words “all men are created equal.” Lamentably enough, it concluded with Supreme Court Chief … Continue reading
INDEPENDENCE FOR WHOM? PART 1
A FEW DAYS AGO, I PROMISED to continue with more from The Atlantic’s “The Unfinished Revolution.” As I noted, think of this magazine’s excellent series as “a much appreciated (and … Continue reading
OUR QUEENS FELON GRIFTER-IN-CHIEF
IN A CONCISE 2 MINUTES 21 SECONDS, KATHLEEN KINGSBURY describes “The Corruption Behind Trump’s East Wing Demolition,” The New York Times, October 25, 2025. “As of Oct. 24,” the preface … Continue reading
BARONESS ORCZY AND EARLY TV PART 2
YESTERDAY IN PART 1, WE LEARNED how the first superhero novel transformed from rejection status to best seller by way of its stage play counterpart. Pimpernel cinema followed—indeed, in multiple … Continue reading
THE BARONESS ORCZY AND EARLY TV PART 1
“THEY SEEK HIM HERE, THEY SEEK HIM THERE/ Those Frenchies seek him everywhere.” So it was said of the Baroness Orczy’s Scarlet Pimpernel. I sought him recently—with double success—in recent … Continue reading
“THE UNFINISHED REVOLUTION”—THE MORAL FOUNDATION
ELAINE PAGELS CONTRIBUTES AN ESSAY “The Moral Foundation of America” to “The Unfinished Revolution,” The Atlantic, November 2025. Think of this as another civics lesson we’ve seemingly forgotten. Elaine Pagels writes, … Continue reading
A NECESSARY, SIGNIFICANT, OCCASIONALLY JOYFUL “NO KINGS”
ON OCTOBER 18, 2025, 7 MILLION AMERICANS protested Trump 2.0’s autocracy. Yesterday, we concentrated on the absurdities of a government official saying “Who cares?,” of Trump himself posting a scatological … Continue reading
LET’S CELEBRATE “NO KINGS”—BUT AVOID THE 5 WHEN NECESSARY
THIS PAST WEEKEND EXHIBITED the legitimacy of the “No Kings” contingent, the puerility of Donald J. Trump, and the inanity of his cohorts. Let’s take these in reverse order. Indeed, … Continue reading
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