Category Archives: History

Social Distancing Diary #2: Teatime

Posted on March 22, 2020 by lisakwinkler

My husband is reading Erik Larson’s book, The Splendid and the Vile,about Winston Churchill and London during the Blitz. Often, when we’re reading something that engages or amuses us, we read passages to each other. Such was the case with … Continue reading →

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Read: Susan Orleans’ The Library Book

Posted on March 18, 2019 by lisakwinkler

Run, don’t walk to your library and borrow Susan Orleans’ page-turner, The Library Book. Sure, you could download it or buy a copy. But it’s about libraries and library books, so getting it from the library seems like the right … Continue reading →

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Fiddler in Yiddish

Posted on December 11, 2018 by lisakwinkler

  “A fidler afn dakh, arop fun zinen, ha?” That’s Yiddish for “A fiddler on the roof—sounds crazy, no?” It’s the opening line of the 1964 musical, Fiddler on the Roof, based on stories by Sholem Aleichem  about Tevye the Dairyman … Continue reading →

Posted in commentary, Family, History, Judaism, Music, New York City, reviews, Theater | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Happy Birthday: Frankenstein & Little Women

Posted on October 11, 2018 by lisakwinkler

What writer wouldn’t want to say their book has never been out of print? That their book captivates generation after generation, and continues to inspire countless retellings, radio shows, movies, plays, and cartoons? Two women writers share these distinctions and … Continue reading →

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What A Wonderful World?

Posted on June 20, 2018 by lisakwinkler

This morning I attended my 4-year-old grandson’s end of year show. The class had studied the earth’s biomes all year and each child wore a different costume and sang songs to reflect the many different climates and animals on the … Continue reading →

Posted in commentary, Family, Grandchildren, History, politics, Writing | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Posted on April 4, 2018 by lisakwinkler

I just started reading Mitch Landrieu’s  In the Shadow of Statues: A White Southerner Confronts History. Landrieu, mayor of New Orleans since 2010 whose term ends this May, shares his personal reflections about the city’s decision to take down four Confederate … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Civil Rights History, commentary, Education, Family, History | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Grandma Day: Thomas Edison!

Posted on July 28, 2017 by lisakwinkler

Try explaining to a five and seven-year old that at one time in life there were no computers and that to take a photograph involved hiding under a heavy, dark canvas and pictures had to be developed. Just try telling … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Education, Family, Grandchildren, History, Museums, galleries, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Edna St. Vincent Millay: Happy 125th Birthday!

Posted on May 27, 2017 by lisakwinkler

A couple college friends and I decided to visit the home and gardens of famous poet Edna St. Vincent Millay, in Austerlitz, NY. We were eager to find out whether the rumors we’d heard about her – that she jumped … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, celebrations, Education, Friendship, History, Museums, galleries, Reading, travel, women, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

It’s ANZAC Day! Make Anzacs!

Posted on April 25, 2017 by lisakwinkler

It’s ANZAC Day; the holiday that commemorates the anniversary of the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War on April 25, 1915 at Gallipoli. During the summer of 1974, I was … Continue reading →

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Trump & Putin

Posted on February 6, 2017 by lisakwinkler

My husband’s column for Bloomberg View. An omen for the US.      

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