Pucci blouse, Carr’s Wafers, cheese, wine…
…not exactly today’s train travel, is it? Riding the rails in 70s England.
Monthly Archives: April 2013
Fighter of Pancho Villa, bank president, rib maker, man of mystery.
My grandfather, William McAdams…
…ran away from home at fifteen, lied about his age to join the army and fight Pancho Villa, started a bank and later, adopted my mother. Here he is the way I remember him, on his patio in Kansas City cooking his famous ribs. Served with hush puppies (one of the most incredible things my sister Robbie and I ever gobbled down). He’d spend all day back by the bbq slow-cooking them with a bottle of bourbon at hand. The ribs had a secret ingredient. Sadly, he took the secret to his grave along with many other mysteries we’ll never know the answers to.
Summertime Girls on Chanel Bonfire
Minneapolis Summers…
One of our summer babysitters, Beverly, with Robbie, her summer hair going wild, holding her teddy bear Guthrie (named for Sir Tyrone) and our friend Grettie. I think I took this picture. Daddy would hire a girl to watch us while he was in rehearsal. After a production started he’d spend the days with us himself and the babysitter would only come at night to put us to bed.
Chanel Bonfire, Hyde Park and Horses
This is Lilo Blum…
She was the owner of Lilo Blum’s Stables just off Hyde Park in London. Caroline and John Kennedy rode there as did their cousins the Radziwills and Zsa Zsa Gabor and Topol and many others. She was a feisty older lady when I was a girl in London. While Mother was off spending her giant divorce settlement, I worked for Lilo grooming horses, mucking out stalls and leading tourists on horseback through the park in exchange for time on a horse. I was crazy about horses then. There’s a hilarious story about me and a group of young Saudis that didn’t make the final edit of Chanel Bonfire. I’ll post it on the blog soon. But in the meantime, here’s a story about Lilo from The Age in 1972 right about the time I was there.
Chanel Bonfire at the Hotel Bel Air
It’s a ways off but I’m VERY excited about appearing in the wonderful Julie Robinson’s Literary Affairs Summer Books & Breakfast series!
I’ll be at the Hotel Bel Air on July 8th from 10:30 AM to 12:00 Noon. Reading, breakfast, Q & A. I can’t wait. If you live in Los Angeles or will be in town visiting, I’d love to meet you. Tickets and info can be found at the link:
When the Music Boxes Were Whole
Cadogan Square — Chanel Bonfire in London
Come meet Wendy Lawless @ the LA Times Festival of Books!
Stories of Child Survivors
I’m always gratified when Chanel Bonfire touches someone and I enjoy hearing their extraordinary stories of childhoods lived in adversity of one kind and another.
At my Glendale Public Library event, I was introduced by this charming man, Leon Mayer, who runs the community outreach committee there. Leon had read my book, and shared his story with me. When he was ten, his dad died, and his mentally ill mom gambled away their savings on the stock market, leaving them destitute. He ended up in a Jewish orphanage – which he loved. There were three meals a day, a bed with clean sheets ,he played sports and went to school. He went on to become a lawyer. It was a pleasure to meet this dapper fellow.
Thanks to the Glendale Public Library
How are YOU celebrating National Library Week?!
While Holly Golightly was researching the richest men in Brazil under 40, I was at the Glendale Public Library having a terrific time! Thanks to everyone who came out and to Leon Mayer of the Friends of the Library, The Mayor of Glendale, Frank Quintero and State Assemblyman Mike Gatto for the lovely gifts and kind words about me and Chanel Bonfire. You’re all darlings!