January 2007

A Luncheon Meeting With Gerald Ford

With the passing last month of our 38th President, Gerald R. Ford at age 93, we could not help but recall the day (August 7, 1997) when we got to meet him at a luncheon sponsored by Time magazine. 84 years of age at the time, he looked absolutely terrific as our “photo op” below will attest.

Frankly, we were not big fans of his in the 70’s. We disagreed with most of his politics and especially his decision to pardon Nixon. Though in retrospect, and much to his credit, the general consensus is that it was the right thing to do.

He gave a brief talk that day. But in the Q & A that followed, the first question, surprisingly, was not about Watergate as one might have presumed. As we wrote a couple of days later in our journal:

In short, he seemed like a nice guy if “…rather unremarkable; rather closed…” as we further noted in our journal.

With the passing years, so many of the questions we once had wanted to shout out to those in charge, no longer seem so pressing. We now sense, that the findings of this commission or that commission, in time, will no longer seem to matter. Especially as those who might have been able to provide some answers, one by one, are passing from the scene.

Gerald Ford…rest in peace.

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The 100 Most…

Influential Americans Of All Time was a fascinating cover story in last month’s issue of The Atlantic. As this publication will be celebrating its 150th year of existence this year, it seems as good a bet as any to have had its finger on the pulse of America throughout her history.

Somehow, the same article in say Us, or People or the National Enquirer, would have carried a little less weight we fear, what with no doubt the inclusion of the likes of a Paris Hilton or Brittany Spears.

Of course no list of this kind from any source can ever be definitive. Especially, as the magazine itself acknowledges at the outset, that the very concept of influence tends to be nebulous.

Therefore, as interesting as the list itself, are the issues that their esteemed panel of ten prominent historians had to deal with before they could even begin the project.

We will not seek to walk through these minefields nor provide the actual list itself. The article can easily be accessed: www.theatlantic.com.

Of course everyone will have a different opinion on these rankings, and therein lies the fun and fodder for cocktail party conversation. But here are a few selections (and an omission) that caught our eye as they seem so counterintuitive.

• Shockingly JFK, is absent. LBJ—belly scar and all—comes in at #44.
  

See how much fun this is? And the magazine invites you to make your own submissions on line. We can’t wait to vote for Buffalo Bob Smith…with no strings attached!

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Amsterdam…Anne Frank…A Poem

Thirty years ago we went to the Netherlands for the first time. We of course visited the Anne Frank House.

She would have been 78 years old this year.

We had a great time in that country. Hers could have been better.

Upon these reflections, we recently wrote this poem.

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Reading List 2006: A Scorecard

Speaking of lists, here is one of our own making.

On the assumption that the act of reading is a positive usage of one’s time, the next immediate question that presents itself is: What to read given time’s limitations? And then of course, upon having made a time investment of “x number of hours”: Was it worth it?

For the sake of satisfying our own curiosity and perhaps sparking yours, we went back and listed the books we read in 2006 and rated them on a scale of 1-5; ranging from a “1” (as in a total waste of time; “What were we thinking”) ” to a “5” (as in life impacting in some way large or small; offering some new perspective or insight).

To round out the range: 2= OK ; 3= Good; 4= Great.

Not surprisingly, one would expect very few “1’s” or “5’s”.

We usually don’t read books on the blind, with no idea of their content or style. Nor without purpose. And if a book is bad, we usually toss it aside.

Conversely, very few books make a life changing impact—“blow us away”—given that much of the reading most people do, is expressly for Escapism & Entertainment—and therefore not intended for greater purpose.

Of the 48 books we read this year cover-to-cover, there were NO “1’s” (though Informers by Bret Easton Ellis came close) and only TWO “5’s”:

• The Year Of Magical Thinking by Joan Dideon which provided dramatic and fresh insight on how quickly the world can turn upside down by the sudden and unexpected loss of one’s beloved mate.
  
  
  

  Life changes fast. Life changes in the instant. You sit down to dinner and life as you know it ends.

  
  
• Self-Made Man: One Woman’s Year Disguised As A Man by Norah Vincent is a book that, to quote the New York Times Book Review:

What follows is our scorecard for your perusal. This list is by no means a “recommended one”. Although, the books we would recommend to anyone unequivocally, are emboldened. Perhaps our own little conceit, but here goes:

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Primo: A Taste Of Italy In America

This is the title of an upscale bimonthly magazine about Italian-American culture and heritage. It serves to showcase the many contributions Italy has made to America in art, music, literature and science, while also profiling famous Italian-Americans present and past, current events, and the best of travel, food and wine. www.primomagazine.com.

Given this lifestyle-oriented editorial package, one doesn’t have to be Italian to enjoy Primo.

We were extremely flattered therefore, when they did an eight page piece on us (with 20 accompanying photos) in their August-September 2006 issue. It is as highlighted in an on-line preview as follows:

There’s no great moral to this story other than perhaps to suggest the virtues of a simpler time, when the family doctor actually made house calls.

If you would like to see the whole article… www.domenicapress.com/html/primo.htm/.

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IWOSC Reads Its Own

The Independent Writers Of Southern California (IWOSC), of which we are members, will once again sponsor its bi-annual public reading program at Border’s Bookstore in Westwood, on Sunday, January 21st, from 7-9pm (Free admission).

We will be participating, along with approximately a dozen other members— each of us assigned about ten minutes reading time.

The program covers a broad spectrum of writing genres including novels, short stories, plays, non-fiction, essays and poetry.

We have participated on a number of occasions and found it to be a very stimulating and fun evening. Hope you can join us.

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