Category Archives: Art and Culture
Roger Ebert – the Greatest Film Critic Ever & One of Chicago’s Very Own
When teen pop idols Davy Jones and Don Grady died, I wrote tributes to both of them. When a pantheon of greatness like Roger Ebert dies, it is a bigger challenge to write a worthy piece. Roger Ebert is as synonymous with … Continue reading
Filed under Art and Culture, Celebrities, Movies, Pop Culture
We Were All Just Kids – Ode to the Inspired Genius of Patti Smith and Robert Mapplethorpe
Just before I lost my high level position as director of communications for a national medical association in mid-June 2011, I read Just Kids by Patti Smith. In the darkest days after losing my job, I found inspiration and salvation … Continue reading
Filed under Art and Culture, Celebrities, Human Behavior, Pop Culture
Picture Postcards Provide Colorful Glimpse into Past and Present Histories
Much has been written about the history of postcards and there are a plethora of websites, collector’s clubs, blogs, and books on the subject. The earliest known picture postcard dates back to 1840. It was a hand-painted design on a card, sent in London to … Continue reading
Filed under Advertising, Antiques, Art and Culture, Celebrities, Dining
You Can’t Take it with You … So What Fuels Collecting and WWFS?
A few months ago I embarked on the rather difficult task of helping my elderly parents rid themselves of 53 years worth of amassed stuff in their home. A longtime art collector, my dad has a rather impressive collection that theoretically (depending on … Continue reading
Filed under Antiques, Art and Culture, Human Behavior
The Alluring Mystique of Talismans and Good Luck Charms
Amulet: an object intended to bring good luck or protection to its owner. Talisman: an object held to act as a charm to avert evil and bring good fortune. Fetish: an object regarded with awe as being the embodiment or habitation … Continue reading
Filed under Advertising, Antiques, Art and Culture, Human Behavior
H.R. Pufnstuf – Trippin’ Down Pyschedelic 60s Saturday Morning Lane
On many an occasion, Betsy and I have been delighted about how our interests and experiences with candy, toys and pop culture have coincided, despite having grown up in very different circumstances. Numerous times we have brought up the subject … Continue reading
Filed under Art and Culture, Pop Culture, TV Shows
My Easter Weekend Ode to Rabbits, Bunnies and Symbolism
When personified, there is something about rabbits and bunnies that can be downright creepy … eliciting a similar reaction as clowns do. This morning on ABC7 Chicago News, a viewer shared a shot of her baby crying hysterically on the lap … Continue reading
Comments Off
Filed under Advertising, Art and Culture, Food, Human Behavior, Pop Culture
The Times Square of My Mind
As an impressionable young woman, I journeyed to fabled Manhattan from my relatively sheltered life as an art student at RISD in Providence, R.I. Upon alighting at Penn Station for the very first time, there was a bit of a glitch. … Continue reading
Filed under Art and Culture, Entertainment, Human Behavior, Pop Culture
The Tears of a Clown – Life’s a Tightrope at Studio 659
Creative types have been fascinated by clowns, circuses, and circus freaks for eons – from film directors to musicians to amateur artists. Examples are the rather commercial clown paintings of Red Skelton, the notorious groundbreaking film Freaks, directed by Todd Browning in 1932, … Continue reading
Filed under Art and Culture
