First Person Singular by Wendy Braitman

When Marriage Isn’t Everything

This 1972 cartoon is by the extraordinary artist and social commentator, Jules Feiffer. His memoir, Backing Into Forward, has just been published.

10 Reasons to Stay Away from Married Men

1.  They will not be available for your birthday, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s Eve, Valentines Day, 3-day weekends. In fact, they’re not really available.       Continue reading »

You Are NOT What You Eat

If I’m in a fragile state, even a trip to the grocery store can be a minefield. Just last week, with the following items in my basket: a couple of apples, one chicken breast, a box of LU Pims orange cookies, and 4 bags of cat treats, I was sure that the man behind me was thinking, here’s a woman who spends her weekends, ALONE. A single friend who is braver than me, shopped defiantly at the market on Thanksgiving and bought herself a yam and a lone turkey leg. But this week, I don’t care what others think, because this week, I’m planning my trip to Rome.

Image: Apples, 1949, by Ellsworth Kelly

Vacationing While Single

Remember Club Med? I pictured it as city folk in grass skirts doing a lousy rendition of the hula, though it was one way to vacation alone. What’s the alternative when you’re single, not interested in going solo to a foreign land (like me) and most everyone in your circle is married? When my close friend, Miguel, booked an Italian trip for May, I wondered if I should meet up with him, and take my first real vacation in years. Miguel and I are travel-tested. We’ve been to Asia and Europe together, and share a modest appetite for sightseeing, and a hardy one for café life, shopping and good food. I fussed about the money, but what an opportunity.  I’M GOING TO ROME!

Image: Reaching, 2010, by Noura Bouzo, a female artist from Saudi Arabia, who recently participated in one of the first mixed exhibition art shows ever to take place in Riyadh.

A Great Way to Start a Meal

I love Pizzeria Mozza, owned by chefs Mario Batali and Nancy Silverton. The food is rustic, the atmosphere lively, and FORGET about walking in without a reservation, which are taken a month in advance. I was thrilled to find this recipe for their delicious appetizer that I order every time I go. Here’s to a little Mozza at our own kitchen tables.

Recipe: MOZZA’S Chicken Liver Pâté       Continue reading »

Mood Elevator

From a wise Rabbi, words to live by:

Make a daily practice of viewing the world as if you have just entered it. Think of the endless, glorious gifts we enjoy. The sunshine, the air. See. Smell. Hear. Taste. Touch. Look at everything around you with newness each day and you will transform monotony into an exhilarating experience.

Image by Nick Dewar, an awe-inspiring illustrator who died last month at the age of 37.

A Really, Really, Bad Date

I was moved by this story from a reader:

A friend of a friend contacted me about setting me up with a guy she and her fiancé know from AA. She said he’s “Jewish, cute, funny in a sarcastic way and 6 years sober.” The sober thing could have been a red flag, but I wanted to be open-minded and non-judgmental.     Continue reading »

How to Stay Relevant

A year ago today, the glamorous Barbie turned 50 and the whole world was watching (even me). And now, at 51, she’s barely an afterthought. So what happens to our sense of self-worth when the cameras go away? How can we feel attractive when no one seems to be looking? I ask these questions while navigating my own sex drought. And here’s what works for me: Refuse to be invisible. Stay social. Spray on cologne. Eat pasta. Do cardio. Volunteer.

Image: Barbie (with Pearl Necklace), 1997, by Marlene Dumas

Do You Wear Red?

Living in San Francisco, my wardrobe palette ranged from gray to black, a perfect accent to the perennial fog. My East Coast sister-in-law used to say, “Would it hurt to wear a little color?” Here in L.A., with its long season of white hot sun, I’ve loosened up, and now own clothes in coral, yellow, mint green and white, none of which I’d be caught dead wearing in the Bay Area, for fear of being scorned as a tourist. But red lipstick still intimidates me. Each time I apply a coat, I tissue it off before leaving the house. Beginning on March 11, the wonderful Neue Galerie in NYC is presenting an exhibition of the German expressionist, Otto Dix. In honor of this exhibit, Estée Lauder is launching two limited-edition beauty products: A lipstick called Berlin Red ($30) and a Bauhaus-inspired mirror compact ($55). I might have to give red one more try.

Image: Portrait of the Dancer Anita Berber by Otto Dix, 1925.

Holy Night of the Oscars

The only year I remember missing the Oscars is when my mother did the unthinkable and died a few days before, which brought me to the East Coast to mourn. My heart was breaking, and I couldn’t imagine sitting in front of the TV with everyone decked out and carefree. But my California buddies disturbed the shroud of silence when they phoned at midnight, to shriek about the results. During the San Francisco years, I’d go to my friend Dick’s house, where he always served up the best booze and food. I’ll be having my own crowd on Sunday, beginning with nosh and the Red Carpet, and later, Chicken Gumbo à la Emeril Lagasse. I’m betting on The Hurt Locker, Jeff Bridges, and please, make it be Meryl Streep.

VOTE update – top contenders are “ART SEEN” and “GALLERY.” New write-in vote: “ART WALL”