Linda Richman, writer/lecturer

Here is Linda's Proust Questionnaire:

Your most marked characteristic?
my irreverent sense of humor
The quality you most like in a man?
humor, humor, humor
The quality you most like in a woman?
her ability to nurture
What do you most value in your friends?
Loyalty with a capital 'L'
What is your principle defect?
I don't suffer fools gladly
What is your favorite occupation?
authors and writers
What is your dream of happiness?
knowing who you are and accepting the good, the bad, and the ugly
What would you like to be?
an accomplished pianist
In what country wold you like to live?
Italy
What is your favorite color?
white, even though I know it is a hue
What is your favorite bird?
the cardinal
Who are your favorite poets?
Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Robert Browning
Who are your favorite composers?
Marvin Hamlisch, Marilyn and Alan Bergman; I'm a Broadway baby!
Who are your favorite painters?
Matisse and Monet
Who are your heroes in real life?
myself
What is it you most dislike?
bigotry
What historical figures do you most despise?
Hitler
What natural gift would you most like to possess?
ballet dancing
How would you like to die?
in my sleep next to Antonio Banderas
What is your present state of mind?
I'm wistful
What is your motto?
I'd rather be kind than right

And this is how Linda describes me:
"Marjorie is complicated, brilliant, creative, clever, and impossible at times!"

Linda Richman is the author of the best-selling book "I'd Rather Laugh," and the inspiration for the "Coffee Talk Lady" on Saturday Night Live... and she is my friend.

The photo of Linda Richman in this entry is used with her permission.

Marina Abramović, The Artist Is Present

Today, I went to the Museum of Modern Art to see "Marina Abramović : The Artist Is Present."

"This performance retrospective traces the prolific career of Marina Abramović (Yugoslav, b. 1946) with approximately fifty works spanning over four decades of her early interventions and sound pieces, video works, installations, photographs, solo performances, and collaborative performances made with Ulay (Uwe Laysiepen)."

The Washington Post has some excellent photos to view for those who are unable to visit these breathtaking projects on display. It is an amazing and astounding exhibit that includes performance art. "I am tired of waiting in waiting rooms... fast shopping in shopping malls. I want to go away. I want to get old, really old so that nothing matters anymore. I want to not want anymore."




"The Artist is Present" is on YouTube and in Financial Times. And Amir Baradaran succeeds in getting the artist to laugh.

Where did you go tonight?

I went to an event at Borders with Jill Zarin (of The Real Housewives of New York) and Lisa Wexler and Jill's mother, Gloria Kamen. They discussed lessons on how to motivate, mediate, and make the most of life every day. And of course, they were there for a discussion of their book, "Secrets of a Jewish Mother: Real Advice, Real Stories, Real Love," and a signing.

I aim to oblige!

She requested Boca! "Why don’t you go to Boca? I think it would be good for you. A few stories of your fellow retirees might make for good reading." So, here is a photo from my trip to Boca from a few years ago. Look! I was walking with Renee Taylor! LMAO! Well, you asked.... Such nachas!



Then, we went back to my friend's apartment in Aventura and enjoyed the view.



During that trip, I actually stayed at the Bal Harbour Sheraton. In it's day, it received guests such as John F. Kennedy, Frank Sinatra, and Ed Sullivan, Sadly, it is no more. I took plenty of photos in the hotel and around the hotel on that vacation. "Analyze This" was filmed at the Bal Harbour Sheraton and Billy Crystal's wedding scene takes place at this pool in one of the beginning scenes. Please enjoy these photos of the gorgeous pool.





The view from the room's terrace was divine.

Where did you go today?

I went to get buckets of tickets for the Tribeca Film Festival. I do film MARATHONS for two weeks! Gangway!

I am seeing Open House, William Vincent, The Space Between, and Ondine. I wanted to see The Killer Inside Me, but it is sold out! :-(

"Night Watch," photographs by Richard Bachmann

Today, I went to The National Arts Club to see "Night Watch," the photographs by Richard Bachmann.

"Night Watch" features 17 large format black and white prints, each capturing a dazzling new perspective of the city. They were taken by Richard Bachmann between 1996 and 2007 from rooftops and out-of-the-way vantage points. The photographs are an historical documentation of an ever-changing city in the graphic patterns of its buildings and streets.

Where did you go today?

I went to the Alice Austen House, on Staten Island. Clear Comfort is the childhood home of Alice Austen, one of America’s earliest and most accomplished female photographers. It was built in 1690 as a seaside cottage on the shores of New York harbor by her grandfather. During her lifetime, Alice took over 8,000 photographs that have been recognized as one of the major works capturing turn-of-the century life in America.

a haunting scene from a film of long ago

The Locket

Comments are open!

Next Stop!

Fences, with Denzel Washington!

Brig Van Osten and Orlando Pita, hair artists

I was walking home from Whole Foods and when I passed Eros Cafe, I saw two very familiar faces! It was Brig Van Osten, the Season 3 winner of "Shear Genius," and Orlando Pita, the Season's mentor.

I didn't have my camera... so although Brig offered to take some photos and E-mail them to me, I wanted to run the two short blocks to my home and get my own camera for the photo-op so I could post the photos on the same day. I should have let Brig use her camera. My camera is so done. Done, with a capital D! The photos did not develop color correctly (they read all weirdly blue) and they are sort of blurry. But, I was happy to have had the opportunity!

I did manage to sit down with them for a few minutes and talk to them about retro "hair height." They were exceedingly pleasant and answered all my questions with great patience and they gave me excellent advice. It was a true pleasure to meet such sincere and talented artists.



P.S. I read he charges $800.00 for a haircut!

"The Mavens"

OK, so my cousin Sylvia and I had such a nebuchum laugh at what her cousin on the other side, Estelle, did. Kuchem, listen! She finds out that Dina is moving from their New Jersey 55+ community into a private home that she bought in Boca. So, Estelle checks on the value of houses in that section of Boca!!! Then she calls Sam, her accountant know-it-all real estate maven brother-in-law, to find out the yearly property taxes on the house and verifies the information that Sam told her on the community room computer at some online property tax calculator. She "flies crazy" and has a high-blood pressure attack trying to figure Dina's whole financial thing out. Estelle is telling everybody that Dina cannot afford it. "Last year, didn't Dina run short and wasn't she complaining on the golf course that her dental implants cost too much money? Who is going to pay for her grands' private school now? It gave her such nachas! And what about the upkeep on her Cadillac?"

Like this is Estelle's business? Does she even break bread with Dina on a casual basis? At Pesach, they passed like two ships in the night. What a busy-body! And she gives Dina three months in the new home! "She will plotz from boredom," Estelle declares. She predicts a meltdown in about three weeks after moving to Boca. Who wouldn't melt down and shvitz like crazy in that heat! What is she? A psychic-seismograph/frustrated financial planner?

Can you imagine being so involved in and critical of the life of a mere casual acquaintance who you only know peripherally as a neighbor? Estelle gossips like a freakin' yenta. She really needs to find her own life and worry about her own financial situation. What is she, an employee at Morgan Stanley now working on commission? I am sure Dina could speak volumes about Estelle and her activities or non-activities and her investments. It is classic lashan hara and motzi shem ra. How totally asinine and moronic. It is beyond ridiculous. It doesn't get any more pathetic. Who made her a life-connoisseur? She is a high level life-critic?!

And me writing about this is so NOT lashan hara. It is my halakhah... This Estelle yenta needs a life of her own instead of sweatin' and analyzing the life of another. Maybe she should find some hobbies like RHONY Bethany advised RHONY Jill. I would love somebody to analyze her life and finances under a similar magnifying glass, LOL And so it goes... Mah jong, anyone? Yentas.

These People Are My Friends!

These photos were taken at "My Super Sweet 16." It was a meeting of the "Friends of the Friendless!"

I adore a Wednesday matinee!

I saw this afternoon: "A Behanding in Spokane".
This is from the official website: "Carmichael (Christopher Walken) has been searching for his missing left hand for almost half a century. Enter two bickering lovebirds (Anthony Mackie and Zoe Kazan) with a hand to sell, and a hotel clerk (Sam Rockwell) with an aversion to gunfire, and we're set for a hilarious rollercoaster of love, hate, desperation and hope."

some found pics

Ilene Kristen (Roxy) was on "One Life to Live" today. So, here is a photo of me with Ilene taken at the Drama Bookshop in 2008.



This is me with Brian Gari, who is Eddie Cantor's grandson. I interviewed him last year. You can read the interview here.



And this is me with Alan Colmes, at the Comic Strip's holiday party of 2008!




I read and worked those rooms like Perez Hilton at a Vanity Fair Oscar party! LMAO Why should I miss some great opportunities for good photo ops?
OK, fangirl out!

Say hello to Wayno!

My dear friend Wayno put up some great new photos of himself and his work at Facebook. He said I could post this one. Please read my interview with the great and talented artist, Wayno Draino, at marjorie-digest.

Where are you going tomorrow?

After the visit to Broadway, I am going to an oasis of serenity in Chelsea: the General Theological Seminary. I was there last year and I had taken many photos. The great Gothic architecture reflects a total sense of peace. And the open gardens are a perfect place to relax and read.

I am tawkin' street cred!

New York, New York!!

I was all over the Broadway "Great White Way" area today. I walked to the theater box offices and I bought several tickets for well-reviewed plays. And I took my own photo in the reflection of an office building facade. Look, you can see my Balenciaga bag!












In a double-take, I even caught "The Naked Cowboy!"


Bye-bye, Broadway! See you soon... when I arrive to see "Lend Me a Tenor!"


This is a well-played retirement!

Turn up the volume, baby! Empire State of Mind!!

King Tut Exhibition

I went today to get tickets. The box office was closed. I can walk up there later this week.
But, I got a few photo ops.





Discovery Times Square Exposition

Good morning, dear friends!

What a beautiful way to wake-up: What a Wonderful World
I am thinking of going over to the Chelsea Piers today!
Well, I worked for 35 years, and now I am retired! I am a senior! It's now all about me and my leisure time!

Change in plans!
Lend Me a Tenor opened last night on Broadway! I will see you at the Music Box theater today when the box office opens.

Where are you going tomorrow?

UPDATE: I was unable to attend... day ran late.

I shall be attending: "The Figure of Orpheus in Poetry and Performance, 1910 - 2010" which is described as "in honor of Lincoln Center's 50th Anniversary and the Poetry Society of America's 100th Anniversary, an event celebrating the figure of Orpheus mythologized in poetry as well as dance, music, and film. The program includes poets John Ashbery and Mark Strand; actors Maria Tucci and Chandler Williams." Pianist Paul Barnes will perform his transcription of Philip Glass's new opera, "Orphee."
It is co-sponsored by Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center."

Are my interests Mensa-worthy or what?

a street fair in Chelsea

I was walking to Whole Foods and bumped into a West 23rd Street street fair. This was an excellent photo op on a beautiful spring day. You can see the Chelsea Hotel, and to the right is the Congregation Emunath Israel and to the left is the Gotham Comedy Club. You can click on the photos to enlarge them. Welcome to my neighborhood!