Month: September 2017

Gilded Suffragists: The New York Socialites who Fought for Women’s Right to Vote Book Review

It is a common misconception that the first wave of feminism in the early part of the 20th century was solely run by working class and immigrant class women. That is fallacy.

This year, writer Johanna Neuman’s new book, Gilded Suffragists: The New York Socialites who Fought for Women’s Right to Vote was published. Ms. Neuman writes of the women at the top of the social ladder who put their money where their mouth was to further the cause of feminism. Women belonging to the well-known families with names like Astor, Morgan, Belmont, etc, came together (as best they could) with their working class and immigrant class sisters to work towards a brighter future for generations of American women to come.

The beginning of the book was a bit slow, but when it picked up, it really picked up. By the end of the book, I was reminded that feminism does not just belong to a particular class of women or women who belong to a specific ethnicity. It belongs to all us and it is up to all of us to ensure that our daughters and granddaughters continue to have the rights and privileges that have been so hard-fought for.

I recommend it.

Meeting Hate With Love

Jagmeet Singh is a politician from Ontario, Canada. His parents originally emigrated from India, he is a first generation Canadian.

Recent Mr. Singh was verbally attacked at an event by a Caucasian woman. Believing him to be Muslim, the woman accused him of spreading Sharia. His response was anything but expected.

The thing that strikes me about this interaction is that it proves we do not have to meet hate with more hate. If someone wants to hate us because we are different, let them. We can only meet them with love and hope that one day, they will do the same to us.

The Last Day-Thoughts On The 16th Anniversary Of 9/11

Life, as we know, it to be is precarious. We never know when we will meet our maker.

I work very close to where the Twin Towers once stood. As I got up this morning and prepared for the day, I couldn’t help but think of the nearly 3000 people who woke up on September 11th, 2001, not knowing that it was to be their last day on Earth.

As I got off the train, my eyes could not help but look upward and remember what was there 16 years ago and how the world will never be the same. Even though it has been more than a dozen years, the grief and the pain will never truly fade.

May the memories of those killed, both on 9/11 and during the recovery in the days after be a blessing to those who knew them and loved them, and to all of us. Z”l

Mr. Darcy, Vampyre Book Review

One of the recent trends in publishing is the merger of a classic novel with the supernatural. While some of these narratives succeed, others don’t quite reach the mark.

In Mr. Darcy, Vampyre, by respected Austen author Amanda Grange, Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzilliam Darcy are newlyweds. Instead of traveling to the usual honeymoon spot, Mr. Darcy takes Elizabeth on a strange tour through the continent. While they appear to be as happy as passionate as any pair of newlyweds, the marriage has not been consummated and Darcy appears to have a secret. Will Darcy’s secret be reveled and will he and Elizabeth have that happy ever after?

I have been a fan of Amanda Grange for a few years, her novels of the diaries of the Austen heroes are well written and engaging. The problem is that this book is not one of my favorite Amanda Grange books. I found myself fighting to finish the book.

Do I recommend it? Maybe.

The Perfect Response To Subway Preacher By Lea DeLaria

I don’t know about any other city’s transportation system, but some people presume that the New York City Subway System is the perfect place to preach the word of G-d.

While the prevailing wisdom for most people is to keep their heads down and ignore the subway preachers, Orange Is The New Black actress Lea DeLaria decided to call one preacher out on his b*llshit.

From my perspective, her response to the man is brilliant. I am all for freedom of speech and freedom of religion, but the transit system is not the time or the place to try to bring in new believers. Perhaps this man has learned his lesson about using the subway as his pulpit.

Climate Change What?????

Climate change, whether we like it or not, is a reality. The ice caps are melting, the weather is becoming more extreme and in case anyone is living under a rock, Hurricane Harvey devastated Texas not even two weeks ago, Hurricane Irma has left a path of destruction through the Caribbean on her way to the American southeast and Hurricane Jose is on the tail of Hurricane Irma.

The man sitting in the Oval Office not only took the US out of the Paris Climate Accord earlier this year, but he also signed an executive order not too long ago (i.e. just before Harvey made landfall in Texas) that undid the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard signed into law by the Obama Administration.

Did anyone else see The Day After Tomorrow from 2004? While the film makers did not exactly adhere to the facts that scientists agree on regarding climate change, the message of the film is as real today as it was 13 years ago.

When we bite Mother Nature, she bites back, twice as hard.

Flashback Friday-Just Looking (1999)

Being a teenager is the most confusing, amazing and life altering experience that anyone will ever have.

In 1999’s Just Looking, Lenny (Ryan Merriman) is a 14 year boy living in the Bronx in 1955. Summer has just begun and Lenny has only one goal to complete by the time school starts: watch two adults, well, make whoopee, as was the phrase from the period. His mother Sylvia (Patti LuPone) sends him to Queens for the summer to live her pregnant younger sister and her husband. Meeting the gorgeous and much older Hedy (Gretchen Mol) turns Lenny’s world upside down.

Lenny’s original goal may be to catch two adults in the act, but he learn much more that summer.

Coming of age stories are nothing new. But in the hands of skilled writer, the coming of age story feels universal. It also helps that this film is set in the mid 1950’s, creating an emotional distance that allows the audience not only to consider the age of the main character, but the world he lived and grew up in.

I recommend it.

Wuthering Heights Character Review: Hindley Earnshaw

*Warning: This post contains spoilers about Emily Bronte’s classic novel, Wuthering Heights. Read at your own risk if you are unfamiliar with the either book or the various adaptations.

There is something to be said about a well written, human character. They leap off the page and speak to us as if they were right in front us, as flesh and blood human beings, instead of fictional creations.

In this series of weekly blog posts, I will examine character using the characters from Wuthering Heights to explore how writers can create fully dimensional, human characters that audiences and readers can relate to.

Every protagonist needs an antagonist. Whether that antagonist is an internal or external antagonist, he or she is crucial to the development of the protagonist.  In Wuthering Heights, that antagonist is Hindley Earnshaw. Hindley is Catherine’s older brother, his jealousy and anger over Heathcliff creates a lifetime of rage and abuse on his adopted brother. After Mr. Earnshaw dies and Hindley becomes master of Wuthering Heights, he takes pleasure in reminding Heathcliff of his low status. Hindley also absolves himself of any parental responsibility if his only son, Hareton, after the death of his wife, leaving his child in the path of the vengeful Heathcliff.

To sum it up: Not every character has to be likable or have redeeming qualities. Some characters are just  nasty, rude, don’t give a sh*t, etc. But that’s fine. In creating an irredeemable character like Hindley, Bronte was able perfectly contrast her hero, Heathcliff. While Heathcliff has some goodness in him,  Hindley has none. He is an arrogant angry man who fully takes advantage of his status in society, loses everything in the process and in the end pays for his wicked ways. When it comes to villains, that is how we like it.

Throwback Thursday-Movie Stars Television Series (1999)

Being the child of famous actors is not easy, nor is it a golden key to success as a performer.

The television series, Movie Stars, aired for one season at the turn of the new millennium. Reese Hardin (Harry Hamlin) and Jacey Wyatt (Jennifer Grant, daughter of Cary Grant) both have successful careers in the entertainment industry. Reese and Jacey have two children of their own in addition to Jacey’s daughter from her previous marriage. Life is chaotic and busy, as it only can be when your part of a family of movie stars.

The problem with this show is that it was like a rocket without fuel. While the concept seems ok on paper, both the narrative and the character arcs were woefully underdeveloped.

Do I recommend it? No.