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R.I.P. Rochelle
We’ve known she’s been in hospice for weeks but I’ve been dreading this day for years, not because I obsess about Rochelle Denton, who I’m mourning the loss of today, but because I’m the morbid sort...
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Celebrating Sylvia Lewis
Thanks Eve Golden and Mel Neuhaus for calling my attention to Sylvia Lewis (b. 1931), whom I’d certainly seen onscreen many a time without connecting all the dots. Her most prominent credit was...
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Don’t Miss the Coney Island Book Fair!
April 23 being World Book Day, it seemed the ideal time to let you know about the upcoming Coney Island Book Fair, taking place at Coney Island USA on May 10! All hail Lady Aye (Ilyse Carter) for...
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Art Spiegelman: Disaster is My Muse
Today is Yom HaShoah, Israel’s official Holocaust Remembrance Day. It takes place on the 27th day of Nisan (sundown April 23 into April 24). This is distinct from International Holocaust Remembrance...
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The Flowering of Rube Bloom
Reuben “Rube” Bloom (1902-1976) was a writer of rags and tin pan alley songs, a band leader, accompanist, and on occasion a singer. His name was pronounced “Ruby” by some back in the day. The mind...
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Cindy Adams at 95
Cindy Adams (b. 1930) turns 95 years old today — which means that she has never been young the entire time she has turned out her New York Post column. She started it in 1979 when she was on the cusp...
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On the OTHER Walt Whitman
When I first heard there was an actor named Walt Whitman (1849-1928) my first take was “You can’t do that!” But of course he could. After all: a) it was his real name; and b) at the time he was born...
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On a Man Named Dull
It’s quite true — there once was a director and producer named Orville O. Dull (Orvid Oscar Dull, 1888-1978). The jokes just write themselves, and I’m shocked that Bob and Ray didn’t seize on it:...
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For World Penguin Day: Some Pop Culture Penguins
Penguins International tells us its World Penguin Day — and who are we to squawk? We observe the day with this honor roll of penguin related characters from pop culture. We were surprised to realize...
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Tomorrow: King Oliver Comes to Queens!
New York hot jazz lovers! I’m already booked tomorrow so I’m telling YOU so you can attend this for me! My friends from Archeophone Records Richard Martin and Meagan Hennessy will be at the Louis...
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