I’ve been away from this blog for 2 1/2 weeks — the longest I’ve gone without posting since I started on Blogger in July 2007. If you’ve visited me here at least a few times since November 2016, you can probably guess what I’ve been up to. I’ll get into the ultra-serious stuff in the…
About Wendy
RIP, Larry Kramer
Larry Kramer, a writer and one of the earliest AIDS activists, died today at age 84. You can read his full resume in the many obituaries that have been and will be published but, in short, Kramer was a co-founder of two AIDS activism groups — Gay Men’s Health Crisis, in 1982, which provided support…
White Supremacy Is Terrorism
Yesterday, a black man named Christian Cooper asked a white woman named Amy Cooper (no relation) to put her dog on a leash in Central Park’s Ramble, where dogs are required to be leashed to protect the wildlife and plants. In response, Amy Cooper called 911 in fake hysterics and told the dispatcher that an…
Taking to the Streets to Mourn COVID-19 Deaths
More than 90,000 people have died of the novel coronavirus in the U.S., but the White House hasn’t called for national mourning. To make up for that, grass roots activist groups arranged a Day of Mourning today to call attention to our losses. As #COVID19 infections in the US increase to over 1.5m and deaths…
Wednesday, May 20: COVID-19 Day of Mourning
As of today, more than 90,000 people have died of the novel coronavirus in the U.S. Tomorrow is a National Day of Mourning, organized by Indivisible, MoveOn, the Center for Popular Democracy, and other activist groups. As part of that, there will be a 24-hour livestream during which all the victims are named. You can get the…
Throwback Thursday: Madonna’s Leather Haring Jacket
Madonna needs to let me rummage around in her closet because I’ve been blogging about her pieces by artist Keith Haring — one by one — for 10 years. I need to take a complete inventory, because this is getting ridiculous. In 2010, I reminisced about the covetable Keith Haring skirt Madonna wore in her…
Throwback Thursday: Open That Bottle Night 2020
Journalists Dorothy J. Gaiter and John Brecher invented “Open That Bottle Night” in 1999, when they were writing about wine for the Wall Street Journal, and MrB was the managing editor of the newspaper. Dottie and John proclaimed that the last Saturday in February should be the day that everyone opens the special wine that…
Met Gala Monday: Nothing But ’90s Memories
The Met Gala — more formally known as the Costume Institute Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art — was scheduled for tonight but, like other events this year, it has been cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. The event would have been the grand opening of the Metropolitan Museum’s “About Time” exhibition, which “shows…
Throwback Thursday: Leather Painted by Lyko
My painted motorcycle jacket has already appeared on the blog numerous times. Artist Andrew Lyko customized it for me last year, and now I like to wear it when I’m going to be arrested. I’m so glad I never purged this jacket from my closet like you’re “supposed to” with clothes you never wear. This jacket…
What Wendy Wore: You Can’t Unsee the Babadook
While making final logistical arrangements for yesterday’s protest action with multiple banner drops around the city … … photographer George De Castro Day emailed me, “You know, the world might need a portrait of you with a mask and in that top hat.” For a moment, I was like, “How does George know I have a…