Happy New Year to All My Readers!

31 Thursday Dec 2015

Posted by in Anniversaries, Books, Film, Jeanne Eagels, Marilyn Monroe, Music, Periodicals, Updates, Writing

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As 2015 draws to a close – and this blog approaches her eighth birthday – I’ve been reflecting on a milestone year: from the reissue of The Mmm Girl and my inclusion in Fan Phenomena: Marilyn Monroe, to the publication of Jeanne Eagels: A Life Revealed, and my continuing association with Art Decades magazine.

But before I head back to the salt mines, I’d like to thank all my readers for supporting me. Wishing you all a wonderful 2016: and don’t forget to check out my annual picks in music, books, movies and TV.

Born on This Day: John Colton 1887-1946

31 Thursday Dec 2015

Posted by in Anniversaries, Film, Jeanne Eagels, Theatre

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lfJohn Colton was born in Minneapolis on December 31, 1887. He spent his first fourteen years in Japan, where his English father was a diplomat. This early experience of colonial life in the Far East would inspire his writing. Continue reading →

Art Decades 6: Jeanne Eagels and Me

29 Tuesday Dec 2015

Posted by in Interviews, Jeanne Eagels, Periodicals

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12342381_10153397097917989_6009439504184830441_nJeremy Richey talks to me about Jeanne Eagels: A Life Revealed in Issue 6 of Art Decades magazine, which is now available on Amazon for £9.91 in the UK, or $15 in the US.

This latest edition also includes a twenty-page interview with Miranda Lee Richards, and two photo-shoots inspired by her music; a look back at Elvis Presley’s last movie, Change of Habit, and 10cc’s How Dare You; and Marcelline Block’s interviews with author Mikita Brottman, and filmmaker Zach Weintraub.

A portion of this issue’s proceeds will go to Planned Parenthood. If you’d like to subscribe to Art Decades, click here.

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Born on This Day: Arthur Fiedler 1894-1979

17 Thursday Dec 2015

Posted by in Anniversaries, Jeanne Eagels, Music

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p27-02-00cropArthur Fiedler was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on December 17, 1894. His father, Emanuel, was an Austrian violinist; and his mother was a pianist. When Emanuel retired in 1910, the family moved to Europe. From 1911-15, Arthur studied violin in Berlin. As World War I began, he returned to America and joined the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Continue reading →

2015: A Year in Books

16 Wednesday Dec 2015

Posted by in Books, Fiction, Film, Madonna, Marilyn Monroe, Music, Non-Fiction

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Reading Clarice Lispector for the first time is like falling in love. Each of her stories is a rare jewel. Shocking, funny and wildly imaginative, this collection is a landmark, reclaiming her as one of the underrated voices of the twentieth century.

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The final volume in Elena Ferrante’s Neapolitan series rages like a cyclone. No happy endings here, only the transcendence of real art.

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Lucia Berlin was a wonderful American writer, whose stories are warm, yet unflinching. She led an eventful life, and while there are strong autobiographical elements in her work, she was also richly imaginative. Continue reading →