What do I hope my biography will accomplish? Nothing less than a complete reconsideration of Doris Duke.
Blog Posts on Writing and Authors
What Was Cut
I suppose it’s a stretch—but then what is the point of writing without stretching?—but I think if Doris Duke had known about Julian Abele’s work, she would have admired him and regretted that during his life time, he was never given his due.
Bad Girls
The death of the writer Kate Braverman here in Santa Fe a few days ago led me to think about the accomplishments, and the legacy, of other Bad Girls.
The Third Fire
Activists like me who have spent decades working in various fields for social justices are, I think, right to assume that this new young militarism is drawing on our work of many decades.
Changing My Mind
Seldom has a book caused me to change my mind… but D.H. Lawrence’s Sea and Sardinia changed me.
Reading Toni Morrison in China
Morrison’s raw courage in confronting and describing the effects of incest, racism, and the tragedy of women forced into its confines will be with me always.
Recording Two Women’s Friendship
What did these two stout scrapbooks mean to my mother?
Children in Church
They made no noise, having been warned beforehand, and perhaps silenced by the the powerful male voices of the priests and the bellowing of the organ. But they moved. Oh, how they moved…
Legacy of Harm
Doris Duke must at least have wondered if her generosity, in all its forms, could ever compensate for the destructive effects of nicotine addiction.
At Last
In Manhattan last week, I was finally able to assure myself that The Silver Swan: In Search of Doris Duke, will be published next spring.