I am a fellow fan of bar-and-book dining; when I was living in the city, one of my favorite things to do of a Sunday was mosey over to La Pecora Bianca on 50th and 2nd and enjoy brunch and coffee whilst reading whatever I was reading at the time.
Aaahhhh...thank you for taking me back (via your footnotes) to the halcyon days of my youth, when I had a subscription to Spy Magazine. One of my favorite recurring bits was Graydon Carter's referring to a certain NYC real estate "tycoon" as a "short-fingered vulgarian." 🥰
A word I'd forgotten, "vulgarian". 1929 was the peak usage. And "short-fingered" nails it down because he is so sensitive about it, and it still follows him. But why hasn't the song followed him?
"Apostrophes and old movies" + stories of New York City = one of the my favorite places in this Substackian realm. What a lovely respite! Please do share any other treasures you discover in your trove. PS. My mother taught me to appreciate Fred Astaire. She swore that he and Ginger Rogers danced everyone through the Great Depression. What a time!
You are so wise to be especially careful while sorting through old papers. I once, in my haste to organize, threw out an old how-to manual for a thermostat in an apartment that I moved out of 30 years ago and have regretted it ever since ;)
I have two extensive collections of correspondence to go through, and, yes, there is only so much one can revisit at one time. But how wonderful to have a (typewritten!) record of those long friendships!
I love the footnotes -- always. But I wish there were a way to sidebar them so that I didn't have to keep scrolling back and forth between the body of the text and the next footnote. Proof again, I guess, of the superiority of print over digital.
If you’re reading on your computer screen and let your cursor hover over the footnote number, the footnote materializes for easy reading and dismissal.
If you’re reading on your phone (or at least this is how it goes on my iPhone), you can tap the footnote number and the footnote pops up (and then can be X’d away).
❤️
I am a fellow fan of bar-and-book dining; when I was living in the city, one of my favorite things to do of a Sunday was mosey over to La Pecora Bianca on 50th and 2nd and enjoy brunch and coffee whilst reading whatever I was reading at the time.
Lavender never truly fades. It just goes to lavender heaven.
Aaahhhh...thank you for taking me back (via your footnotes) to the halcyon days of my youth, when I had a subscription to Spy Magazine. One of my favorite recurring bits was Graydon Carter's referring to a certain NYC real estate "tycoon" as a "short-fingered vulgarian." 🥰
I was this close to tossing that into the story, but I figured, with my readers, that was probably carrying coals to Newcastle.
Of course, it’s an immortal phrase.
A word I'd forgotten, "vulgarian". 1929 was the peak usage. And "short-fingered" nails it down because he is so sensitive about it, and it still follows him. But why hasn't the song followed him?
Short-Fingered Vulgarian
Bona fide barbarian
A wannabe authoritarian
Short-Fingered Vulgarian
Just wonderful story-telling.
Thank you!
"Apostrophes and old movies" + stories of New York City = one of the my favorite places in this Substackian realm. What a lovely respite! Please do share any other treasures you discover in your trove. PS. My mother taught me to appreciate Fred Astaire. She swore that he and Ginger Rogers danced everyone through the Great Depression. What a time!
OK, I have another good letter story (different box of papers), and I’ll tell it tomorrow.
It’s even nicer!
Did Ms. Pleshette order the lobster thermidor with her coffee?
🫢
What a payoff for the drudgery of cleaning out mismanaged files. Score!
Thanks for the memories. Going thorough old boxes, pictures and books seem to be way stations on my journey through life.
It's partly sweet, partly sad, partly a lot of things. For me, at least. Really, two hours of it and I'm absolutely worn out.
I am with you. I've got 91 years to try to clean up so others don't have too. I'm glad I've learned to laugh.
Good for you, Anne! On all fronts: the organization, the laughing, the whole deal.
How lovely. And I never spell rhythm without thinking "rhythm has your two hips moving."
Love this . Thank you .
You are so wise to be especially careful while sorting through old papers. I once, in my haste to organize, threw out an old how-to manual for a thermostat in an apartment that I moved out of 30 years ago and have regretted it ever since ;)
I’d be bereft! And maybe cold!
I have two extensive collections of correspondence to go through, and, yes, there is only so much one can revisit at one time. But how wonderful to have a (typewritten!) record of those long friendships!
I love the footnotes -- always. But I wish there were a way to sidebar them so that I didn't have to keep scrolling back and forth between the body of the text and the next footnote. Proof again, I guess, of the superiority of print over digital.
If you’re reading on your computer screen and let your cursor hover over the footnote number, the footnote materializes for easy reading and dismissal.
If you’re reading on your phone (or at least this is how it goes on my iPhone), you can tap the footnote number and the footnote pops up (and then can be X’d away).
Thank you! Brilliant!
I'm assuming there was no Lobster Newburg on the menu to accompany Ms. Pleshette's coffee.
🫢
I love this so much (though I am never afraid to dine alone at a table).
You have more moxie than I!
❤️
I love these snippets of your life and am so glad you turned to writing!
Thank you! Me too!