Category Archives: violence
A Little Historical Lore
Since one plague can lead to another… Dr. Samuel Mudd (1833-1883) comes to mind, remembering the Yellow Fever epidemic that broke out at Fort Jefferson in the Gulf of Mexico, in 1868. Dr. Mudd was imprisoned there for setting the … Continue reading
Did You Know…All Bets Are Off Edition
Abraham Lincoln stashed papers in his Stovepipe hat. Do you think Jack and Ike did too? Maybe that’s where Jack hid all those long-legged phone numbers. Marilyn Monroe lived in 20 different foster homes, sexually abused by more than … Continue reading
Did You Know?
When you come out of Union Station in Washington D.C., the first thing you see is the U.S. Capitol, beaming, across the sky. At Christmas, it’s even lit up. During the American Civil War (1861-1865), President Abraham Lincoln insisted, the … Continue reading
Did You Know?
Eleanor Roosevelt was a hair under six feet tall, and the first, First Lady (1933-1945) to ever ride in an airplane. Wonder if she bumped her head. In 1921, President Warren Harding’s Airedale Terrier, Laddie Boy, was the first White … Continue reading
Did You Know?…Noir Edition
During the editing of Ken Burns’s epic film, The Civil War, when they came to the part where Abraham Lincoln gets shot at Ford’s Theater, he and his colleagues sat there, not wanting to lay the track for the sound … Continue reading
Princess Diana Francis Spencer of Wales (1961-1997)
August 31st, 1997 92nd Street Y…New York City I was coming from a yoga class with my Israeli boyfriend, entering the member’s lounge, finding everyone huddled around the TV. A SPECIAL REPORT Britain’s Princess Diana has died at the … Continue reading
Urban History
I didn’t go to college, therefore when I tell a historical tale, it’s without pedantic bells and whistles. But what better way to learn, I say, and a lot more interesting to decipher what you read in your own words. … Continue reading
Revelations
I dreamt of Bill Hicks last night, a rarity these days. When he first past in 1992, he visited frequently, now not so much. He was on stage in a black hat, and all I remember was the word…REVELATIONS. I … Continue reading
History Repeats Itself
I’ve just come back from watching protesters march down Fifth Avenue, a block from my house, rightfully outraged over the brutal death of George Floyd, in Minneapolis, this past Monday. The crowd was mixed, meaning not just people of color. … Continue reading