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“Back in the olden days”…when I was a little girl… my hometown staged a parade on Memorial Day. I don’t remember who exactly was marching, but surely there were military units with their wonderful bands; troops of scouts, always a bit out of step; cars, usually convertibles holding waving town officials, a few pristine antique…
When your birthday is December 7th (as mine is), you grow up well aware of what happened on that date in 1941. Back in the 1950s and ‘60s when I was a schoolgirl, I took this reality for granted. “When’s your birthday?” “December 7th.” A wide-eyed step backward—an apprehensive look… as though I had a…
Never Again: Syrians are crying for help. Who is listening?
What do the words “Never Again” mean to you? Last night I attended a screening of “Cries from Syria” at the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles. The event was hosted by Helen Mirren, and afterwards there was a conversation with the Director, Evgeny Afineevsky. This powerful documentary traces the disintegration of the country that…
Two years ago, I lived in Massachusetts, where we celebrated Columbus Day. Now I live in California, where we celebrate Indigenous People’s Day. Good bye, Columbus! I’ll miss you, I suppose. It’s not that big a deal. The names of holidays do change. Veterans Day used to be called Armistice Day; Lincoln’s Birthday and Washington’s…
Well, let’s just say, I’ve had it with the Second Amendment being used as an excuse to do absolutely nothing about the carnage we are all beginning to accept as normal here in the land of the free and home of the brave. And I ask: Are we really still free? Can we ever be…
When my two daughters were young, I read to them every night. When they were very young they loved Richard Scarry’s Big Book of Nursery Tales. They each requested different stories on different nights. Over the years, my own favorite became the story of the Little Red Hen. I realized why, of course. The Little Red…