Victoria Wilson’s new biography, A Life of Barbara Stanwyck: Steel-True 1907-1940 is impressive, if just for its length and heft. It is just the first half of a two-part exhaustive look into the life and career of one of Hollywood’s most enduring, yet shyest stars. Stanwyck, born Ruby Stevens, started life in Brooklyn as a quasi-orphan. Her mother died when she was quite young and her father disappeared soon after, leaving young Ruby and her brother Byron to be raised by friends and family. Her three older […]
How to Quiet Your Mind
I have been working so hard on getting my bodily health in shape that I may have overlooked my mental and emotional health, too. Everything is connected, and pretty much everyone I talk to has suggested meditation for a way to relieve stress and improve my outlook on life. But where does a neophyte start? I found this book at the library, Quiet Mind: A Beginner’s Guide to Meditation, which was compiled and edited by Susan Piver. It includes seven different meditation exercises, explained and introduced […]
Stanley Tucci really loves to cook (and bake, and grill …)
I heard that the actor Stanley Tucci had written a cookbook — not a surprise from the star and moving force behind the cinematic delightful ode to Italian food, Big Night. But until I picked up The Tucci Cookbook I had no idea how deeply his love of food and cooking went. Readers of this cookbook will be happy to find included his step-by-step directions for the movie’s signature dish, timpano, and its many variations. This is not just a book of recipes, but a collection of stories, as […]