Ep. 62 – with Jacqueline Novak – Lisa Birnbach’s Five Things That Make Life Better on September 13, 2019

If you’re reading this on Friday the 13th – 2019 or any other one – don’t be afraid.   I don’t entirely believe in spooky things, though I love the word spooky.

Lisa Birnbach with author and comedian Jacqueline Novak

I once went to a place called the Winchester Mystery House in San Jose, CA.  It was the house of old mother Winchester of the rifle company, and it had oddball wings, and trap doors, and stairways going  nowhere.  It was said that the widow enjoyed seances and the paranormal, and after her mediums and fellow Ouija board enthusiasts left, she’d commission a new room or building project.  Anyway, they say there are ghosts in the house, and I think I saw one and got really scared.  But I also thought I saw a UFO on a school camping trip in the 8th or 9th grade, so I’m not trustworthy. But I am scared.

 I’m telling you this because our guest this week, the fantastically funny Jacqueline Novak, star of the off-Broadway comedy show, “Get On Your Knees” is a fan of the paranormal.  And I’m trying to win her over.

It’s time for my five things, but first a reminder to subscribe to the podcast, if you’re a listener. NOTE: If you are reading this, this is my Blog. You must SUBSCRIBE to the Podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio - or wherever you get your Podcasts.  And don’t do it out of pity.  Do it because it’s the right thing to do.

1. “To Kill A Mockingbird” on Broadway. Harper Lee’s quintessentially American novel has been adapted by Aaron Sorkin, and for the next few months Atticus Finch is being played by Jeff Daniels. (Ed Harris will replace him this winter.) You must put Gregory Peck out of your mind, and you can. But the giant star turn here is 9 year old Scout, played by the luminous 41 year old actress Celia Keenan-Bolger. You read that right. She runs across the stage – she careens across the stage and you believe she is the precocious child narrator. She’s a wife and mother, for God’s sake! Maycomb, Alabama in the 1930s is as much a character in the play as it is in the book, and the ripe heat of long summer days is felt and felt. See it if you can. (Also, full disclosure – Celia is a dear family friend.)

2. The book tables in my lobby. We have two elevator banks and neighbors leave books they’ve finished on both of them. Sometimes you find something you’re dying to read. So now, instead of waiting until I have a big stack of books to donate to a school or shelter, I sometimes put books there too.

3. John Early dance videos.  John Early is a comedian, an actor, and a director.  He directed “Get On Your Knees,” my guest Jacqueline Novak’s off Broadway show.   My daughter, #ExhibitB ™ has over the years sent me videos of his dancing on the street.  They make me laugh when I’m in a bad mood.  Here’s one.

4. You all know how I love the Netflix show “Shtisel,” right? Is there any doubt whatsoever in anyone’s mind? I think it’s the most interesting and nuanced of dramedies I’ve seen with subtleties and textures that provoke me to think for days. Last night we went to a presentation by some of the cast and one of the creators/writers of “Shtisel.” I was excited to hear them, as all of the players come from a different world from the religious one they depict. What is the show about? Neta Riskin, who plays Gitti Weiss said – in perfect, unaccented English, by the way – “If Seinfeld was about nothing, Shtisel is about everything.” There were hints of a new season, by the way.

5. I’m going to highlight a non-profit organization this week that does great work I admire. It’s called The Student Leadership Network, and it started in 1996 -97 with a single school in East Harlem, NY, for girls serious about a college preparatory education. Now there are approximately 20 public girls’ schools across the country, as well as. Thousands more girls and boys who are helped to get into college with giant scholarships. My friends Ann and Andrew Tisch founded this remarkable foundation, and I have had the privilege of meeting their students over the years. They are inspiring young girls who take nothing – no opportunity to learn – for granted. I have volunteered at two of the New York campuses, and they make you appreciate how education is the one thing that can lift and change a life.

For tickets to Get On Your Knees CLICK HERE:

Jacqueline’s 5 Things:

1. Korean skin care regimen

2. Books about metaphysical weirdness 

3. Iced Americanos

4. Taking baths/naps liberally

5. Marco Polo app

Follow Jacqueline Novack.

GET ON YOUR KNEES • The Lucille Lortel Theatre in NYC until October 6, 2019

https://ci.ovationtix.com/35249/production/1015831 

http://jacquelinenovak.com

Instagram:  @jacnov

Twitter:  @jacquelinenovak

Ep. 61 – with Paul Tough – Lisa Birnbach’s Five Things That Make Life Better on September 6, 2019

I know I’m not in school, but September feels like the beginning of the year to me.  I don’t know that I’ll ever be over semester timing.   And isn’t it crazy how Labor Day is always a weather show?  Rain, Dorian, cooler temperatures…. How does it know (to do that)?

Speaking of school, I have a marvelous guest today, who writes frequently about education. He is Paul Tough, and his new book is called The Years That Matter Most: How College Makes or Breaks Us. Together we’ll discuss the mania that can get parents to commit crimes and mortgage their homes: the hope of their children to matriculate to a prestigious college or university. And how it feels to be a kid applying to college now.

I don’t think I’ve mentioned this in a week or two, but I have a baby grandson! I have trouble saying the “grand” part, but this little creature creates joy whenever he smiles, which is more and more. I saw him a lot last week, which tops my five things

Lisa Birnbach and Author Paul Tough

1. BABY. Love, good smells, the feeling I’m soaring when he smiles at me. His soft skin. His innocence. His chubby legs. His tiny toes.

2. Lake Tahoe. I know it’s shared by Nevada and California. I know the water is clear and clean and cold and crisp.

3. Homegrown ranunculus.

4. Jaffa restaurant in Los Angeles.

Great eastern Mediterranean food; wonderful service. Not just your grandma’s hummus. Interesting, fresh combinations. Loved the charred eggplant, in particular.

5. Have I got good news for you. The play I raved about all winter, The Lehman Trilogy, is finally viewable to all of you who couldn’t grab a ticket to see it in New York when it was here for just a short visit. It will be live simulcast at theaters around the country on September 15th.

The Lehman Trilogy: Academy Award-winner Sam Mendes (Skyfall, The Ferryman) directs Simon Russell Beale, Adam Godley and Ben Miles playing the Lehman Brothers, their sons and grandsons.

Author Paul Tough PaulTough.com

Paul’s 5 Things:

1. The Penguin Modern series of tiny books

2. The iNaturalist app

3. My sons' imaginations

4. "Heavy," by Kiese Laymon

5. The remarkable selection of inexpensive fizzy waters in Austin's supermarkets

You can reach/follow and see upcoming events for Paul Tough here:

website: www.PaulTough.com

twitter: @PaulTough

Episode 60 – with Chip Fisher – Lisa Birnbach’s Five Things That Make Life Better on August 30, 2019

Lisa Birnbach and Chip Fisher

I feel I have to talk fast because summer is ending fast.  I’ve never sensed a brisker summer.  Maybe it’s because in our family, we front-load our season, heading off on a big trip in early June before the crowds and the heat become oppressive.

Or maybe – as is the reason for so many things – it’s just age, and the perception that there is less and less time.  On that happy note, I want to tell you that today’s guest is Chip Fisher, the chairman of Fisher-Wallace Laboratories, maker of a therapeutic but drug free machine that alleviates symptoms of PTSD, insomnia, and depression. 

Meanwhile, back at headquarters, life has been sweet.  My son, the redoubtable #ExhibitA™ has been back in New York on a work trip, which means he’s staying with us.  Which I love.  I love to take care of my exhibits and of course, their exhibits.  Whether it’s cooking for them, putting out fluffy towels for their use, or just turning on the air conditioning before the arrival, it’s a warm and happy feeling.

Onto the week’s 5 Things:

1. I’ll say it before and I’ll say it again. I love the hybrid stone fruits of summer. I know they are somehow wrong, like having a pet liger, but they just taste so good. And it’s not like I’m breeding them or anything. Pluots, plumcots – both mixtures of plums and apricots have their own partisans, of course. Plumcots were invented by the great American botanist and agricultural scientist, Luther Burbank, who gave us many species of fruit, vegetables, and flowers. Anyway, nectarine, shmectarine – I eat them and love them and they are a big part of my love for the summer.

2. Poetry. Yes, it’s sometimes hard to read. Yes, you might have to be in the right mood – which is hard to establish. But poetry is a powerful art form, and I think it’s good for our souls. (I don’t have a study to prove it, but please hear me out.). To really focus on what is written, you have to tune everything else out, which is good for us. If you prefer, you can hear poetry read on line, which is also great and moving. Here, at Poetry Foundation, there’s a poem of the day for your enjoyment and enlightenment, as well as a treasure trove of other verse. If you haven’t listened to our episode with Erica Jong (Friday, August 16, 2019), you might listen to her read her own poem, “Poetry is Better than Xanax.” Just read one a day – maybe part of your meditation or intent setting. It’s like vegetables – good for you!

3. Recently, I shared with you how excited I am about the forthcoming of the movie sequel to the series of “Downton Abbey.” Today, I join that with the anticipation of the next season of “The Crown.” For those of you who are not already fans of actress Olivia Colman, the star of “The Favourite,” and last year’s best actress Oscar winner, well I predict you will be soon. She takes over from the magnificent Claire Foy as Queen Elizabeth in her middle years. I have never seen any production for tv with such lavish production values and extraordinary attention to detail. Awaiting this pleasure will sustain me through the next few months.

4. Kim France discussed this in her 5 Things, and I need to reiterate that the Amazon series “Fleabag” is terrific.  It took me a few episodes to get into it, especially as the title character is cranky, angry, and not too sympathetic.  But Phoebe Waller-Bridge who wrote it and stars is too smart to create a one-dimensional character, and she certainly doesn’t let her off the hook.  The cast of supporting actors do a lot of heavy lifting and they are all – especially Olivia Colman – fantastic.

5. The Beach! I’ve been to the beach three or four times this summer, besting last year’s record. Oh so wonderful! Most recently, we got to spend an afternoon on the strictly beach pass monitored Lucy Vincent Beach on Martha’s Vineyard, and though the water was too cold for me the breezes and the company of my brother, sister in law, and nephew were all I needed. Rx. Beach.

And now, please welcome Chip Fisher.

Chip Fisher - chairman of Fisher-Wallace Laboratories

Chip’s 5 Things:

1. Backgammon

2. Watercolors

3. Licorice

4. Wet Dogs

5. Hot Dogs

Episode 59 – with Rich Cohen – Lisa Birnbach’s Five Things That Make Life Better on August 23, 2019

Journalist Rich Cohen

While reading The Last Pirate of New York, the newest book by this week’s guest, the journalist Rich Cohen, I realized that we are not the first generation of Americans to say things are terrible.  Duh.  No one had it easy, ever.  It’s the challenges and how they came about that provides grist for the mill.  I often think that if I had been born in an earlier century I’d have died in a carriage accident thanks to my nearsightedness. 

And that doesn’t take into account my lack of upper body strength. 

Yet, no matter what I read, I find something disturbing:  Iceland is losing glaciers as the planet warms, and the country predicts all of its glaciers will eventually disappear. Young Greta Thunberg, the 16 year old Swedish climate activist is sailing to North America in a small craft with a small crew, in order to call attention to the extravagant waste of carbon fuels, among other issues.  She is heroic but people are trashing her.  WHY ARE PEOPLE SO CRUEL?  She’s a kid with a great heart and great communication skills.  But a kid. 

This is why I decided to find 5 things that make life better.  No matter how anodyne or common, these little markers remind me that not everything is terrible.

This week’s guest has written a slew of wonderful nonfiction books and was a co-creator  of HBO’s series Vinyl.  Rich Cohen is attracted to tough guys, and The Last Pirate of New York:  A Ghost Ship, A Killer, and the Birth of a Gangster Nation brings great reporting and storytelling talent to a man who was considered the worst monster alive… in 1860.

So without further ado, my five things:

1. The new or newish thing our phones and computers can do, which is to give their password to another person – almost by magic. The person who has the password is asked if they want to share it, and instantly the other person’s device is online. I think this may be a feature of Apple. Preemptively, the negative among us may say our phones are spying on us. Who cares? This trick is a delight.

2. Because so much of our world is digital and virtual, I’ve returned to doing crafts. By hand. No matter how good or disappointing the outcome, it feels good to make something real and palpable by hand. And of course, what’s better than knitting, or doing embroidery, or needlepoint or painting? Doing it while listening to a book on tape or a podcast or two. That is an hour well spent.

3. Speaking of the real and not the virtual, I would be lost if I didn’t carry a notebook with me everywhere. At the moment it’s a small Clairefontaine notebook, which is easy to stow in any of my purses. And it’s colorful so it’s easy to find. I do mishmash my notes for everything in it – so there are pages I don’t quite understand any more, but it’s nice to write things down; those things do stay in my brain longer.

4. Lancome’s “Le Stylo Waterproof” eyeliner. I was looking for a new eyeliner that didn’t run or disappear, and a salesman at a Sephora, calling me “Miss Thing” told me it was the best. Full stop. I don’t wear it every day, but when I do, I’m always surprised that at the end of the night when I’m washing my face, the liner is still where I put it in the morning.

5. This video of 2 Canadian women out in the country. Watch it and enjoy it. A simple pleasure. Okay a simple pleasure recorded by 21st century technology, but still…..

Rich Cohen’s 5 Things: (Click above to listen to the podcast - for more about his five things!)

1. Jumping off the dock in Maine.

2. David Lynch’s narration of his audiobook “The Big Fish”.

3. Bubble Baths.

4.  Right Field bleachers at Wrigley Field.

5. Fonzie.

You can find out more about Rich Cohen at: AuthorRichCohen.com  and on Twitter @RichCohen2003

Episode 58 – with Erica Jong – Lisa Birnbach’s Five Things That Make Life Better on August 16, 2019

Novelist, Poet, Essayist - Erica Jong

This week I gently suggest you readers switch over to the podcast.

Why?  My guest Erica Jong is so fascinating, and has a singular take on the world, the world as it is.  Her use of language is also singular.  For the few of you who don’t know her, Erica Jong has been not only at the forefront of feminist literature since the 1970s, she is still one of its most prominent voices.  A poet, a novelist, an essayist, she has been chronicling her life and times in the most sensuous and what the kids call “sex-positive” of ways.  From Fear of Flying, published in 1973 to Fear of Dying, published in 2015, Erica creates fully formed realistic plots and characters who take life by its throat.

  ---- ---- ---- ----- ---- ---- --- ---- -----

Just when you thought this summer couldn’t get weirder or more dystopian, we got Jeffrey Epstein.  I don’t want to pollute our show with him, but I have to confess I am riveted by the sordid story:  the amount of  truly horrible things that he was alleged to have done, the brilliant and influential people he was able to bring into his messed up orbit.  I’m incredulous that he was able to get away with just a slap on the wrist in Florida.  I hurt for all his victims and their loved ones.  I don’t believe we’ll ever really know the full extent of what happened in his life and death, but for now, thanks for showing us how depraved people can be.

I’m going to have to take a virtual shower now.  

That’s better.  

Now I’m ready for the five things that made my life better this week:

1.  Eating outdoors.  When it’s not pouring or excruciatingly hot and sunny, it’s so much nicer to sit outside.  Especially if you go out to dinner.  And as noisy as NY’s streets are, it’s usually quieter than the restaurants themselves.

2.  The knowledge of and anticipation for the “Downton Abbey” movie.  It’s keeping me going.  It’s kind of my Robert Mueller replacement.  Something to feel good about.

3. Lemon is really the perfect seasoning. I love lemon on most anything – chicken, pasta, blueberries, roasted potatoes, melon…...

4. Last night I saw a screening of “Knock Down the House,” a documentary by Rachel Lears, which follows four political races waged by women who came from outside the system to represent working class people. Not one of them had a chance in hell. Not Amy Vilela, Cori Bush, Paula Jean Swearengin, or Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Watching the unexpected victory of AOC is thrilling in the film – no one was more surprised than she, but watching the losses of the others was as emotional too, and crushing. It’s a film with highs and lows, and most interesting is the low tech opportunities to enter politics from small town America. No matter what your politics, this is a film about humanity, and it’s on NETFLIX.

5. When comedian John Mulaney praises something/someone as funny, I pay attention, and that is how I discovered number 5, the comedian Jacqueline Novak’s one woman show, Get On Your Knees.  With the most extraordinary uses of language, the show is essentially about sex, the oral kind.  I’m going to urge my guest today, Erica Jong, to see it.  And all of you if you can.  Jacqueline Novak does an hour or so about oral sex and includes references to great books, her youth in Chappaqua, New York, and her love of the paranormal.  After a sold out run at the Cherry Lane Theater, it is moving to the Lucille Lortel for at least another month.  She is breathtaking.

And now, here are Erica Jong’s 5 Things:

1.  WRITING is her meditation and keeps her from going mad.

2.  Her GRANDCHILDREN remind her to be playful.

3. Going to ITALY reminds her that she is allowed to be human.

4.  NEVER COOKING allows her to find men who are good cooks, including her dear husband, Ken (who seems to have gone on strike!)

5.  BUYING DESIGNER CLOTHES and living through the panic attacks of the charge bills reminds her that she will always be an Ashkenazic Jew.

Erica’s BONUS ITEM

6.  HER DAUGHTER MOLLY reminds her that she will never really be the boss.

Episode 57 – with Richard Panek – Lisa Birnbach’s Five Things That Make Life Better on August 9, 2019

Welcome to my world. Today’s conversation is going to be lively and riveting, with writer Richard Panek, who explores the phenomenon of gravity in his new book The Trouble with Gravity: Solving the Mystery Beneath Our Feet.

Before I say another word, I have to comment on the mass shootings that plague our country.   Guns and violence have never been the smart way to settle a score.  Guns beget more guns.  The rage and resentment in this country grow with every ugly rally and messed up manifesto.  We have become a nation of haters, led by the hater in chief who thinks it’s funny that he could shoot a stranger dead on Fifth Ave and be considered even a bigger winner.

While we mourn the human losses of the week, let us think about using other means of quelling our bad moods.  Maybe next week will be better.

Okay, moving on, my mother celebrated her birthday on Monday.  

The “progenitoress” of all of my exhibits™, my mom just turned 89.  (She’d be horrified I spilled this secret, but she hasn’t yet figured out how to listen to this podcast, so let’s not tell her.).  I asked her how she felt about being 89, a number no one else in our family has ever – to my knowledge – reached.  She said, “I never thought I’d look this good.”  Here is the evidence:

Not bad at all.And often she is fun to be around.

And now for my Five Things of the Week:

1. My mother and all mothers.  If I had known how hard it was to raise a family and keep a sense of peace and calm about the house, I might have second-guessed my ability to do those things.  I would have been way too nervous.

2. Summer dresses.I finally came to the realization that when it’s really really hot and humid, No one needs a tight waistband or something to tuck in it.I’ve bought a couple of light as air skirts this year, but they bring the added problem of thinking of what – besides a white t-shirt or Lacoste shirt to pair with them.Too many questions.Too many answers.No dresses are the thing.

3. Oatly ice cream.  I am not a spokesperson for this company.  I repeat!  They don’t even know I exist.  But I saw a display of their ice cream at the supermarket and brought home a pint of coffee.  I don’t even really love ice cream.  It’s not my vice.  However, this stuff is wonderful: creamy, tasty, and dairy-free.  I “bought it for my boyfriend,” but I seem to be the one eating it.

4. A week or so ago, we met for dinner at a restaurant in the east 20s in New York. The day was hot as a burning candle, so I wore a sleeveless lightweight dress. The restaurant was cold. Within moments of checking in, I shivered at the front desk and said something about the temperature. I was rewarded with a stylish pashmina to wear. It was perfect. Great idea that other restaurants might try.

5. The Official Preppy Handbook. I wrote and edited this book with three other writers in 1980, and while it has been out of print since 1995, it has gotten sustained attention and a lot of it lately – not exactly sure why. Yesterday, the chief tv critic of the New York Times, James Poniewozik wrote a kind of backhand appreciation of it. It’s rewarding to have written something that is remembered and even cherished by so many; with this kind of staying power. So thank you.

Richard Panek’s 5 Things

 1.  The movie Chinatown

2. Beatles song “A Day in the Life”

3.  William Trevor, especially when reading him in a pub with a pint.

4.  Smell of corn-on-the-cob silk.

Then what I’d like to do is list some runners-up that I regret not being able to include (thereby being able to include them):   2001: A Space Odyssey; Tom Stoppard’s Arcadia; several of the plays of Martin McDonagh (The Pillowman, The Cripple of Inishmaan, The Lieutenant of Inishmore); Cezanne’s The Basket of Apples; Claes Oldenburg’s Emerald Pill; the song “Sunday” from Sondheim’s Sunday in the Park with George; Fred Allen; Bob and Ray.

But then, finally, having exhausted my also-ran list, I settle on an un-tony choice:

5.  Hostess Suzy Q’s.

Episode 56 – with Taffy Brodesser-Akner – Lisa Birnbach’s Five Things That Make Life Better on August 2, 2019

If I sound giddy it’s because I got to go to the beach over the weekend.  The kind of weekend that belongs to the beach.  If you’ve been with me since last summer, you know how soothing, joyful, peaceful, and content I feel at the seashore.  I will possibly study the reason the brain can give me optimal feedback just by being tide adjacent.  Or not.  Maybe the sound of the waves do that thing where whispering and quiet sounds turn the brain on.  ASMR?  Or maybe it just returns me to gobs of happy memories growing up on the beaches of Long Island.  Who cares?

Let it not be unsaid, that part of the great pleasure of the weekend was spending time with our friends Diane and Mark (and hi to you, Joyce!) and their son James.  We adore them and look forward to this weekend every year.   

It’s been a giddy time in the art of letters, too. Our guest this week is first-time novelist Taffy Brodesser-Akner, the It girl of fiction this summer, whose novel is called Fleishman Is in Trouble

Critics have raved about her debut, but those of us who are fans of her feature writing in The New York Times aren’t surprised she had it in her. I’m so looking forward to our conversation.

In the meantime, the five things that made my life better this week:

1. The year of one piece bathing suits. We used to call them “tank suits”. (Why? Don’t know. Why did we stop calling them that? Don’t know.). I stopped wearing bikinis in probably the George W. Bush administration, and it has felt dowdy until this summer, when we now see pictures of the stars in one pieces. Thank you Olivia Wilde, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Gwyneth Paltrow.

2. Getting a bill adjusted. I had rented a car from Enterprise Carshare, and thought the ease of the experience was impressive. When I later reviewed my credit card bill, I found an extra charge that confused me. The customer service person I contacted explained the misunderstanding and made the correction. It felt like a victory to me.

3. A baby in the family. A tiny little creature (my son’s son) is truly a connector, a bundle of joy, a reason to be happy. I guess I didn’t understand this until #ExhibitE came along. Just sending a picture of him to my relatives makes us all feel good.

4. Our followers. You are a growing group of attractive and kind people. I sense the rooting for those who are downtrodden, and support for those who are – as we say – making an effort. (That effort could be anything from eating more healthily, looking for work, or putting on mascara every once in a while, to inviting one’s mother-in-law for lunch.). You let me know what you think, and that feedback is invaluable

5. The hunt for the perfect charms. I’m not saying I’m compulsively looking for it. But occasionally I’ll see a charm that is perfect for my necklace. Charms are a form of biography in a way, which is why I like them so much. My most recent purchase was this baby boy’s head

Taffy’s 5 Things:

1. Oat milk

2.  Summer, really for the first time  

3.  Watching TV with my children

4.  Manhattan

5. Room service

Episode 55 – with Yale Hollander – Lisa Birnbach’s Five Things That Make Life Better on July 26, 2019

It’s Mueller Week ™! That trademark is my idea of a little joke, as I didn’t coin the term.  (By the way, every time I refer to one of my children, I call them my exhibits™.  I use the trademark notation humorously.  I find it funny, no matter how many times I type it myself. I hope it amuses you.)

Anyway.  Mueller.  I am so certain he is appearing reluctantly at this week’s hearing.  And I am so sure that members of either side will find the whole ordeal unsatisfying.  I respect Special Prosecutor Mueller, but unless all Americans of voting age watch the proceedings in real time (as opposed to viewing excerpts within their pre-determined echo chambers), it may be for naught.

Oh well.  Having just survived both unnaturally high temperatures and heavy rainstorms, I have determined we are officially in the dog days of summer.  #OfficialDogDays ™!  My prescription for surviving these oddball days:  reading good books, organizing one’s cupboards and closets, and taking all the unframed pictures and art to finally be framed.  (Now you know what I’ve been up to.)

1.  The Rare black and white film from 1915 – about 9 minutes long, taken of the master artists Claude Monet, Renoir, Rodin, and Degas.  I savor this little scrap (set recently to music) because I revere the work of these men.  Of course, much like the Birnbach family home movies of the 60s and 70s, there was a lot of not knowing what to do or where to look.  The Renoir segment just shows him walking and walking.  Messrs. Monet and Renoir smoked a great deal when they worked.  And Auguste Rodin wore a distinguished chapeau.  What is just thrilling about seeing these long gone artists move, and paint, and shuffle down the street, and sculpt is that it makes them real.  They weren’t considered museum worthy in their lifetimes.  In fact, their work was considered almost affrontery to the norms and standards of the French Academie of art.  But a 75 year old man (he looked like Father Christmas.  Consider that Mick Jagger will be 76 next week.)  (But I digress.) a 75 year old man with a long white beard painting in his backyard at Giverny.  By then his eyesight was poor but still he worked steadily. 

It makes them human.  It makes them real.  And seeing them on film makes them feel closer to us.  Because, we all lived in the age of film.  Wow.

2.  Arnold Palmer, the beverage.  I imagine that the golfer was a nice fellow, but his drink is superb.  It is a combination of iced tea and lemonade.  A kind of perfect summer cooler.  No alcohol needed. 

As I hoped, this beverage has its own Wikipedia page – (thank you!) and naturally a history that may be somewhat apocryphal.

In it, according to a waitress at Augusta National Golf Club, Palmer ordered his namesake beverage by saying, "I'll have a Mr. Palmer.”  When Palmer visited the Latrobe Country Club in his hometown, the staff at the snack shack served the beverage to him or his wife, Kit, without prompting. "Mr. Palmer should never have to order the drink named after him."

Whatever you choose to call this drink, enjoy it.

3.  I keep trying to find non-dairy versions of the many dairy products I love.  I kind of fall in like with one yogurt, then the 2nd or 3rd time I buy it, I cannot bear it.  I did try something tasty for those of you who are trying to avoid the cow but want a treat.   It’s Daiya N. Y. style cheesecake—sorry – cheezecake (their spelling) and it tastes like the old Sarah Lee cheesecakes taste in my memory.  Instead of cream cheese it’s made of (Filtered Water, Desiccated Coconut, Evaporated Cane Sugar, Coconut Oil, Tapioca Starch, Non-GMO Expeller Pressed Canola and/or Non-GMO Expeller Pressed Safflower Oil, Potato Starch, Pea Protein Isolate, Vanilla Extract, Sea Salt, Vegan Natural Flavors, Vegetable Glycerine, Sodium Alginate, Xanthan Gum, Lactic Acid (Vegan, for Flavor), Tricalcium Phosphate, Cultured Sugar, Agave Syrup, Titanium Dioxide (a Naturally Occurring Mineral), Vegan Enzyme)

But give it a whirl.

4. The ethics statement which The Washington Post requires all its freelancers to sign. It’s an excellent template for decency and accuracy and bias-free writing. It emphasizes how to avoid conflicts of interest and is utterly clear. It is a reminder of everything that responsible journalism represents.

Julie K. Brown of the Miami Herald

5. Julie K. Brown, the tireless reporter on the staff of the Miami Herald almost singlehandedly brought back the sickening case of Jeffrey Epstein.  Without her pursuit, we might still be talking about… ooh I don’t know…. What happened to E. Jean Carroll?

When I first knew of today’s guest, Yale Hollander, he was a lawyer living in St. Louis, who dressed prep, ate ribs on his way to the meeting of his synagogue, and was an all -around fun guy.  Now Yale has made a huge reinvention.  He’s one of St. Louis’ favorite local comedians.  I admire anyone who can change his or her life like that. https://yalehollander.weebly.com/

The 5 Things that make Yale’s life better are as follows.

1.  Breakfast

2. Yacht Rock

3.  Print Magazines

4.  London, England

5.  Mr. Ralph Lauren

---

George Hodgman • 1959 - 2019 • RIP

Episode 54 - with Laurie Burrows Grad - Lisa Birnbach's Five Things That Make Life Better on July 19, 2019

If you’ve been following along, you know that we are now in our SECOND SEASON of podcasting.  (I know I’m probably more surprised than you.)

So, some organizing notes.  (If you’re a reader, not a listener, feel free to skip the following paragraph.)

This podcast is now available through 5 platforms, in addition to our website.  If you already have Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Youtube, GooglePlay/Music, or Stitcher on your phone thingie or your car radio, you can listen and SUBSCRIBE there.  If you have the inclination, please REVIEW and RATE our 5 Things podcast, as a high rating helps get the attention of the algorithms that make podcasts popular.  If you have already done so, many many thanks.

In the last year we have grown enormously.  Now people ask to be our guest on the podcast, which is a good sign indeed.

We’ve had people in the news like E. Jean Carroll and Caroline Hirsch.  Authors like Lori Gottlieb, William Cohan, Lisa Grunwald, Andrew Friedman, Alexandra Styron, and Meg Wolitzer.  Entertainers like Jamie Lee Curtis, Elliott Forrest, and Caroline Rhea.  Activists like Shannon Watts and the Restore Cal folks, Alex Mallick and Adnan Khan.

It’s been bracing and at times exhilarating.  The weekly blog and pod began by forcing me to find the positive in weeks that have started out everything but.  Now, it’s a pleasant exercise.  It’s much easier to locate my optimism, even when Mercury is in retrograde.  Okay, it wasn’t that easy.  I lied.  But it’s been helpful to me, and I’m hearing that it was helpful to you, which is actually the point of doing this in public.

I hope you will get in touch with me when you have a question or comment that you want to explore further.

Business concluded?

I just returned from 10 days of helping Exhibit A™ and his little family colonizing on the west coast.  And yes, my arms are tired. The unpacking, the smushing together of cardboard boxes, the hoisting the boxes and getting them to the bins behind the building…. all so my kids will live FAR AWAY FROM ME.

(If you’re counting, I only have one exhibit left on the East Coast.) 

What made the experience even more intense was the actual fact of two significant earthquakes on day 1 and 2.  As my mother said, “Are you earthquake lovers?  Come home.”

But there they will stay. My son’s baby will become some kind of California kid.He’ll probably say the word “dude” and surf and will think of me as insanely pale and helpless.

Nevertheless, here are this week’s five things that made life better.

1. Got to spend a lot of time around this little guy. We have a special song, and after about the 40th time I sang it (apologies to my daughter in law), he would burst into a giant smile when he heard it.

2. The feeling of competence I derived from being helpful. Getting what was needed. Being productive. Focusing on the job at hand.

3. Driving in Los Angeles. It was actually kind of fun. Especially because the first 25 years I began to spend time in LA I couldn’t and didn’t drive. I found I didn’t require the GPS as much as I had thought I would.

4. The Impossible Burger and its many offshoots. If you don’t eat one alongside a similar meat product, it tastes damn good!

5. Wimbledon Men’s Final. Roger Federer vs. Novak Djokovich. The game doesn’t get much better. Nor longer. It was the longest finals match in Wimbledon history. It was heart-stopping at times and thrilling. Masters of the sport, graceful and in their 30s.

Speaking of graceful, my guest this week is the lovely and gracious Laurie Burrows Grad.  A longtime food writer and former chef on Hour Magazine, Laurie and her husband Peter had one of the all time great marriages.  And then, 4 summers ago on vacation in Colorado, Peter had a heart attack and died, leaving Laurie bereft and in grief.

She writes about her grief on her blog and in her book. The Joke’s Over, You Can Come Back Now.

And now, here the 5 Things that make are Laurie’s life better: (Click: LISTEN to the podcast at the top of this blog).

1. Leaving her house and moving into a condo

2.  Her grandchildren

3.  Writing

4.  Cooking

5.  Walking and exercising

Finally, as promised in our podcast - here is Laurie’s BEST ROAST CHICKEN Recipe.

THE BEST ROAST CHICKEN EVER! - Serves 4

The key to this dish is to have the butcher cut out the backbone of the chicken to “butterfly” it.  To butterfly a whole chicken means to remove the chicken's backbone so you can open thechicken like a book, or a butterfly, and lay it flat. This is a basic recipe.  If you would like to embellish it with rosemary or other herbs, feel free!

I have added figs to this recipe.  If they are in season, they add a great deal of flavor to the dish.  If not, the dish is fine on its own.  Other additions would be a few stems of rosemary.

Note: if you have a convection oven, cook the chicken at 450ºF for 45-50 minutes.  If cooking the chicken in a regular oven, roast it at 500ºF for 45 to 50 minutes.  Make sure your oven is calibrated correctly.

2          large lemons, sliced thinly

1          large roasting chicken, butterflied

Olive oil

Seasoning salt and pepper to taste

12        small new potatoes, sliced in half

8          peeled shallots, sliced in half or small onions, peeled

3          carrots, peeled and cut into 2 inch chunks

 - - - -

1.            Preheat the oven to 450ºF for convection or 500ºF for standard oven.

2.            Place a layer of the sliced lemons in the center of a roasting pan.

3.            Rub olive oil on both sides of the chicken, season with seasoning salt and pepper, and place the chicken on top of the lemons in the large roasting pan skin side up, splayed out. 

4.            Place the cut potatoes, shallots, and carrots around the sides and coat them with olive oil cooking spray.  Season everything in the pan with salt and pepper to taste. 

5.            Place in the preheated oven and cook according to directions above.

6.            Remove and carve and serve alongside the potatoes, shallots, and carrots.

Note:

If you have time, place the butterflied chicken with 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, minced garlic, and 1 tablespoon fresh tarragon or rosemary and marinate for a few hours, or overnight.

Episode 53 - with William Cohan - Lisa Birnbach's Five Things That Make Life Better on July 12, 2019

It’s summer, which some use as a noun, and others a verb.  I just love the summer, and in some ways it’s my favorite time of the year.  I feel most myself.  All it takes is one hydrangea bush and I’m six years old again, walking around the garden with my grandmother.

My grandmother defied expectations and was a very modern woman.My guest this week, Bill Cohan, has also surprised people in his work life.First as a journalist, then he spent 17 years as an investment banker before returning to journalism and book writing.His first book, The Last Tycoons, was about Lazard Freres, where he had once worked.He is a contributing editor to Vanity Fair and the author of Four Friends - Promising Lives Cut Short.

The 5 Things that made my life better this week.

1. The time to read.  Reading a lot of great stuff.  If you are just joining this podcast anew, I have recommended lots of books throughout the year.  Read Four Friends - Promising Lives Cut Short, the new book by this week’s guest, William Cohan.

2. The smell of privet hedges.  I love it so.  It’s one of those nostalgic scents that takes me back to my childhood.  I also like pansies and honeysuckle, if you want to know.

3. Sitting in the shade.  I’ve been scolded not just by my dermatologist, but by other dermatologists too.  I get it.  I sit in the shade, under a hat, with a minimum spf of 41 covering my body.  But the sun is nearby, and that is what matters.

4. Swimming.  I like it.  I really like it.  In a pool if necessary, but I like a natural body of water best.

5. Sunglasses.I bought my first pair immediately upon getting rid of my thick prescription glasses and wearing contact lenses.I won’t buy the most expensive designer ones because I tend to lose those.The cheap ones I seem to hold onto for years.

Photo Credit: Jonno Rattman

And here are the 5 Things that make Bill’s life better.

1.  My family

2. My homes

3. Traveling/adventure

4. Old friends, new friends, interesting people

5. My work