Holding Beauty and Loss in the Palm of His Hand: Edmund de Waal and the story of the Ephrussi Netsuke

Tolstoy and the Purple Chair

Tomorrow, June 7th, my memoir entitled Tolstoy and the Purple Chair will be released. In anticipation, and as…

Tolstoy and the Purple Chair: Reader’s Guide and Photo Gallery

Queen Elizabeth’s John Dee: Conjurer, Scientist, Sleuth

For those of us waiting with bated breath for the next installment in C.J. Sansom’s marvelous Matthew Shardlake murder mysteries set in Tudor England, heed my words: Rhil Rickman and his John Dee have arrived to satisfy the cravings…

In Praise of Fathers

Father’s Day is right around the corner and two recently released books offer loving and inspiring portraits of men who…

Great Summer Reading for Kids (and Parents!) of All Ages

Summer is coming! I have been waiting so long for the hot weather and lazy days…days meant for reading under a shady tree, at the beach, on the patio, or lounging indoors during a summer thunderstorm. Summer is a great time for kids…

A Rat Race: Keeping up with the Mousketeers

What really struck me when reading Jennifer Armstrong’s thoroughly delightful Why? Because We Still Like You: An Oral History of the Mickey Mouse Club is just how hard it was to be a Mousketeer. Armstrong interviewed past cast members, everyone from…