I called my mom. Mother Lydia was the antithesis of everyone I knew in Hollywood. If I couldn’t get absolution I knew calling her would result in a strong dose of disapproval, an advised course correction, and a grudging glimmer of hope. First of all, as a school superintendent, she…
Category: Los Angeles
It’s amazing in L.A., how often the very early morning brings clarity. It’s true. The low angle of the sun, the freshly brewed coffee, the smell of moist earth and eucalyptus after the sprinklers had gone off. In my gullible twenties — after the birth of my son — it…
It’s not common knowledge, but most leading men are short. They have big heads in relation to their slight bodies, large symmetrical features, especially eyes, and straight expertly manscaped brows. They photograph well. The camera loves them and in order to make them appear tall in the frame they often…
Late in the summer following my sophomore year, I was living in the Beverly Hills home of a blonde former figure skater. This photogenic darling of Orange County had risen from championship skating to spokesperson at Knudsen’s Dairy to management. She married an actor (of sorts) and from there…
Hello, now we start our story, all about a Hollywood babysitter who rises to movie mogul. Comfy? Let’s begin… “Some one I love lives in Manhattan. I told him at the outset of the pandemic that what seemed most precious to Californians was toilet paper. He told me, once his…
The idea occurred to me while reading aloud that I could keep in touch with my podcast listening loved ones far from home if I’d buy a microphone and get off my duff. This, by the way, is the view from my window. To the north are the hills, to…
The film industry started to shut down on March 12th, and for the week prior, while my husband was on set I was climbing up and down ladders, doing a deep cleaning on the house the likes of which this place has never seen. When he called during the afternoon…
Don’t worry. It’s not contagious. I am increasingly persnickety; about the state of the world, modern discourse, and, hell’s bells, my favorite bakery is closed for renovation. Translation, I’m in a mood. To combat my discomposure I walk, write, read—generally in that order—and in between all have many cups of…