I don’t think I’ve ever read a book review quite like Michiko Kakutani’s take on Volker Ullrich’s Hitler: Ascent, 1889-1939 for the New York Times. The review generated headlines of its own. The Huffington Post said, “New York Times Brutally Subtweets Trump With Hitler Biography Review.” The Washington Post’s take was, “This New York Times…
In the News
Recommended Reading
Yesterday, the New York Times published a fascinating story by Ellen Barry on young rural women in India who are recruited to move to Bangalore to work in factories. There, the women — some of them teenagers — make products for Westerners, including Marks & Spencer miniskirts. The work is relentless, the hours are long,…
I Agree With Pantone: Let’s Do Lapis!
This week, the color experts at Pantone released its picks for the 10 top colors for spring 2017. I’m most excited about Lapis Blue, because lapis lazuli is one of my favorite gems. I’ve loved lapis ever since I went to see the blockbuster King Tut museum exhibition in the 1970s and saw Tut’s solid-gold…
Throwback Thursday: Rhythmic Gymnastics in Rio
Last month, while I was at the gym during non-primetime television hours, I caught an hour of the rhythmic gymnastic competition from the Olympics in Rio. I was like this … … totally glued to the screen, jaw dropped. Embed from Getty Images We’re all captivated by regular gymnastics — properly called artistic gymnastics —…
15 Years After 9/11: The Story of Rick Rescorla
On the 15th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, I recommend that you read (or re-read) the 2002 New Yorker story by James B. Stewart called, “The Real Heroes Are Dead.” It’s about an English-born Vietnam veteran named Rick Rescorla, who became the director of security for Morgan Stanley, a financial firm based in the…
My Best Dressed at the 2016 MTV VMAs Is …
MTV’s Video Music Awards last night let me down in all kinds of ways. First, the show itself. Rihanna received the Video Vanguard award, but dragging her performances throughout the whole program undercut the excitement of her big moment … even though she improved during the evening, thankfully finding her voice by her fourth appearance….
About Believing Women
In Monday’s post, I semi-patiently explained that my viral tweet about Lyin’ Ryan Lochte … If Ryan Lochte lied about that robbery, how can we ever believe any man’s allegations of robbery? ? — WendyBrandes (@WendyBrandes) August 18, 2016 … was not a serious request to treat all men as liars because one man lied….
The Rio Olympics, the #LochMess and My Tweet
Well! I never dreamed I would have a viral moment on social media that didn’t involve a cat sitting in a bowl … … but Wednesday night’s tweet about Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte struck a chord with people. If Ryan Lochte lied about that robbery, how can we ever believe any man's allegations of robbery?…
Katie Ledecky Swims Her Own Race, Big Time
As I watch the closing ceremony of the Rio Olympics, I keep thinking of the expression, “Swim your own race.” For a competitive swimmer, it’s good advice that can be taken literally. Swimmers who put too much energy into worrying about the people they’re racing against are going to be distracted from their own performance….
The Impressive Women of the Olympics
There have been so many impressive women at the Olympics in Rio in addition to the U.S. gymnastics team and swimmer Simone Manuel. I’m dazzled by all the “firsts” in these games. Last week, Michelle Carter became the first U.S. woman to win a gold medal in shot put, and the first to win any…