Grab ‘em right away with your opening lines, or they will put your book down. As a novelist, I’ve had this advice hammered into my brain, and my keyboard. This is not an easy task. And I’ve found this to be true with the books I pick up. Goodness…how many novels have I taken [...]
Chances are, if you’re not a kid yourself, you remember that age-old refrain from the movie Bye Bye Birdie. Comedian Paul Lynde sings the lament that parents from every generation have expressed during their child-rearing days, yours truly included. If you’ve never watched it, this 1963 film is a parody on rock and roll [...]
In case you’ve been sleeping under a rock, something amazing has occurred. The Beatles have been reunited. Well, technically, it happened back in the ‘90s when Paul, George, and Ringo worked on three of John’s demos, recorded on a cassette tape before he died. Two of them, “Real Love” and “Free as a Bird,” [...]
Oh, I’m sure I will overeat on Thanksgiving this year, like I always do. And Karen will give me a sideways glance when I opt for that second helping of mashed potatoes because, well, I will plead beforehand for her to keep me honest. Come on…who doesn’t love overindulging on this holiday? Yeah, there [...]
You and me both, John Lennon. A former best friend, currently a life mentor to many, tells his followers to never look back. The key to future success, he believes, is to move forward and forget the past. Now, I’m not one for wallowing in my mistakes, or sitting starry-eyed in my victories from [...]
Days ago, America celebrated the birthdays of two brilliant singers, songwriters, and musicians that changed the landscape of popular music forever. Sir Paul McCartney, one of the most successful composers and performers of all time, who gained worldwide fame as co-lead vocalist, co-songwriter, and bassist for The Beatles, turned 80 on June 18. And [...]
This day, June 14, is Flag Day, the 245th anniversary of the establishment of Old Glory by an act of the Continental Congress. While legend has it that Philadelphia seamstress Betsy Ross sewed the first Stars and Stripes, historians dispute this because of the lack of historical record of any contact between George Washington—head [...]
On May 30th, one hundred years ago today, the Lincoln Memorial was dedicated. Some 175 tons of marble that attracts eight million visitors per year from all over the world. But it’s so much more than that. It’s a place where people pay homage to a country lawyer turned U.S. President who fought to [...]
On this day, May 25, 1803, one of America’s great essayists and poets, Ralph Waldo Emerson, was born. Known as the “Sage of Concord,” he declared: “All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen.” Stand Proud. Become Better.
On this day, April 30, in 1789, standing on the balcony of Federal Hall in the nation’s new capital, New York City, George Washington took the oath of office as our first president. Humbled by the cheers of the people below (he had not sought the presidency) Washington went inside and delivered his first inaugural [...]
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