Category: Arts & Entertainment
Book publishers and TV personality Oprah Winfrey have once again been duped by an author claiming that his story was real. Readers might remember Winfrey’s support for James Frey, author of A Million Little Pieces, which was supposed to be his memoir about his struggle with drug addiction. That story broke into a million little pieces when proven to be an exaggerated account of what happened in real life.
This time around, it is the book Angel at a Fence: The True Story of a Love That Survived that is in the limelight. Written by Herman Rosenblat, the book was supposed to be an account of his experience at a concentration camp wherein he first met his future wife – the angel at the fence who threw him apples. According to his story, they met again on a blind date 12 years after the end of the war, this time in Coney Island. They are celebrating their 50th anniversary this year.
If the story were true, it would indeed be one of the greatest love stories of all time. Unfortunately, it is too good to be true. After a lot of media attention – thanks in part to Oprah’s taking them under her wing in her show – it has been revealed that the story is all made up. As such, Berkley Books is cancelling the book and taking back the advance that was given to Mr. Rosenblat. A movie based on the book is also in the works, to be produced by Harris Salomon. Apparently, a good story is a good story – the movie will be still be released but under the label of fiction instead.
Photo courtesy of The New York Times
In a way you could call it eco-friendly as what this artist uses as his canvas, is something people literally spit out and throw away, right on the street – chewing gum!
Artist Ben Wilson is the creator of these clever works of art on the street, transforming what was once unsightly blobs, into whimsical, funny and interesting miniature paintings on a unique canvas. A native of London’s Muswell Hill, Wilson’s work has been featured repeatedly by the British press and two short films have been made.
Ben Wilson at work
Ben was actually a pavement artist (something I’ve always enjoyed looking at ever since I saw that scene in Mary Poppins age 6), and when he realised it was illegal to paint on the pavement, he resourcefully thought to paint directly on the gum, which is obviously ok. He’s caught a lot of attention doing it, and now Ben is a known as a local hero in his suburban neighborhood. How I wish he’s do that to all the gum around!
Professor Gunther von Hagens, or rather, Dr. Death recently opened his BODYWORLDS exhibit at O2 in London. Its deeply macabre stuff, which at first may seem horrifying but then can actually be fascinating, educational and even entertaining.
I rang my sister to tell her about the chilling traveling show, of how Dr.D (who amazingly looks every inch the part) took corpses, flayed and used “plastination“(which he pioneered in the 70′s) to make them come alive by putting them in life-like poses, like the chess match as seen in the photo above, or a man riding a horse, both holding out their brains for us to compare.
I have to admit that while I find the whole spectacle incredibly disturbing (the idea of a pregnant woman and her baby in womb, gutted out for all to see is especially disconcerting), I am not put off to visit the exhibit and plan to go when I am next in London.
Because though one can see it as gruesome, it is the reality of our anatomy – and as a writer for the Times succinctly puts it:
“….the unique view von Hagen’s corpses offer into the reality of our human make-up, means that squirmishness soon gives way to fascinating.
Even more beautiful than the corpses, are the cross-sectional slices. Inspired by 3D MRI scans, von Hagens has cut wafer thin slices through hands, lungs, brains. The plastic gives them a translucent quality, which when they’re easily distinguishable, like the bones of a hand, look like colourful x-rays. When they’re more abstract they bring to mind amber fossils. They also tell some powerful stories. Smokers should pay particular attention to the cross sections of two lungs, one healthy, the other damaged by nicotine. While the brain flabby with Alzheimers is a graphic depiction of the relationship between the functioning of our minds and our physical bodies.”
Here’s an interesting interview with the good doctor on the BBC from 2002.
Without wanting to turn this blog into a National Enquirer of sorts, I just had to share this story about Sharon Stone, in which a judge denies her custody of her 8-year-old son Roan.
Its a terrible thing for any parent, but the things that this legal document speak of, make the old Shazza look very Joan Crawford-esque indeed. Of course she later denied the allegations of wanting to get botox injections for her son’s feet because they were smelly, but the damage was done (who wouldn’t be afraid to leave any child with this woman?), and the judge ruled that Roan stay with his dad, Phil Bronstein, in San Fransisco, and not in L.A. as Sharon wished.
The document, known as the Tentative Statement of Decision, was obtained by TMZ, and said:
“Mother appears to overreact to many medical issues involving Roan…..
Despite his young age, Ms Stone’s alleged over-reactions were “painfully real” to the boy….
….Another example of an overreaction is that Mother suggested that Roan should have Botox injections in his feet to resolve a problem he had with foot odour……As Father appropriately noted, the simple and common sense approach of making sure Roan wore socks with his shoes and used foot deodorant corrected the odour problem without the need for any invasive procedure on this young child.”
…..Father has championed for Roan’s well-being out of, what appears to this court, nothing less than the unconditional love for his son.
……Unfortunately, and for unexplained reasons, it appears that Mother did not involve herself to the extent she could or should have in this process … Mother has attempted to put up roadblocks to Roan’s getting help, or has decided against participating in his care.”
But for me, the clincher was this:
“If Mother has, in fact, limited her career to make herself available for Roan, she has done little to make this evident to Roan, his school or this court.”
Sharon has 2 more adopted kids, I wonder how they’re doing?
There is no nurse more famous than the venerable Florence Nightingale. The English nurse known as “The Lady of the Lamp” was not only was the first woman in history to be given the Order of Merit from Edward VII, but tirelessly worked to reform the hospitals of her time. She also established a nursing school and home for nurses after the Crimean War, and received the Royal Red Cross by Queen Victoria.
The reason why this photo of Flo, which was taken not long before her death, is so special is because the famous nurse was not fond of publicity and there aren’t many photographs of her in existence. The historical image, was by popular photographer of the time, Lizzie Caswall Smith, was taken at her home in London in 1910, when she was 90 years old. It was inscribed at the back by Ms. Smith saying:
‘Taken just before she died, house near Park Lane. The only photograph I ever took out of studio. I shall never forget the experience.”
The photo’s provenance is excellent, coming directly from the family of Ms. Caswell Smith. It will go on sale at Dreweatts auction house in Newbury on November 19th.
