First Person Singular by Wendy Braitman

Does Anyone Still Wear Bathing Caps?

This 1966 fashion shot by German photographer F.C. Gundlach, is part of an exhibit running through April 24, The Heartbeat of Fashion. More mid-Century bathers after the jump.

Latest update on Movies for the Airplane – I received votes for a batch of films related to Italy; Cinema Paradiso, Life is Beautiful, Roman Holiday, Summertime and a shout out for Lost in Translation by Sofia Coppola.

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Are We Ready To Give Up on Books? Part 2

Last week, I wrote about the sensual pleasure of holding a book. Here’s more evidence, in an excerpt from today’s editorial in the Times, by noted writer Verlyn Klinkenborg –
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Which Movies Would You Take to a Desert Island?

Once I board the plane to Rome next month, it will take 15 hours of travel before I get there. In preparation for the journey, I’m compiling a list of movies to download for the trip. I’ve taken a bit of a lead from David Lynch. Are any of these among your favorites? Write-ins welcome!

Update add-ons: The Best of Youth (GREAT Italian melodrama) and 1979 classic, Breaking Away.

Oh, For Those Legs

MOMA celebrates one of the greatest photographers ever, with a major retrospective of the work of Henri Cartier-Bresson. If you can’t make it to New York, check out MOMA’s exhibition site. The photos, which span most of the twentieth century, are breathtaking. I love them all!

Martine’s Legs, 1967

5 Ways to Be a Modern Woman

1. Split the check. It’s great to be treated to a meal, but old-fashioned to expect it.
2. Use “she” as the generic form of third person singular, at least as often as you use “he.”
3. Wear flats. They look especially good with Capri pants (see illustration).
4. Create a strong financial foundation that may or may not include a mate.
5. Be strong, but not afraid to ask for help.

Image by Mark Frauenfelder for an anthology of Dan DeCarlo’s comic book, Jetta.

Are We Ready to Give Up On Books?

A few years ago, I was finally ready to tackle what is considered one of the greatest novels ever written, War and Peace. A new translation had just been published, which was getting great reviews, so I bought the hardback edition of 1,296 pages, weighing in at almost 4 pounds. In order to read in bed, I had to prop it up on a pillow, because it was way too heavy to hold. I’m not complaining. In fact, in an odd way, the book was so substantial that it felt like company, and I looked forward to the whole tactile experience. These days, with the sway of Kindle and the iPad, it seems quaint, like playing a vinyl record on the turntable.

Image: Brock Davis, 2009, Make Something Cool Every Day

Gateway to Happiness

I suppose it had been building since Christmas, when three friends, in succession, fell in love. While they were on romantic getaways with “the one,” I was on the sofa with my pets. It took some heavy lifting, but I made peace with it. That is, until yesterday. I took Rose for a walk and out of nowhere roared the age-old question that leads nowhere good: “When will someone come and save ME?”     I was steeped in envy, as we turned the corner onto Olympic Boulevard, the rush hour traffic zooming by. With a sharp pull on the leash, Rose came to the rescue, jerking me out of my reverie of pity, as she bolted into the bushes after a cat. In an odd (and sad) coincidence last night, I got word that one of my friends and his lover just called it quits.

Image: Kentucky, 1977, by Lee Friedlander

Is Cooking a Retro Sport?

Asking my mother for her recipes never occurred to me, and then she died before I got the chance. She was a great cook, but I didn’t value her place in the kitchen. I preferred to imagine her in a glamorous career that, with her talent and drive, she could have achieved, had she been born in another era. Despite my feminist snobbery, I absorbed her love of feeding people well, though I sometimes wonder if I’ve become too much of a domestic goddess, when I should be spending more time slaying dragons. That said, here’s a foolproof recipe from the “ultimate” chocolate collection.

Image by Mark Khaisman. Pull Yourself Together a Bit…That’s Better, 2005

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An Elegy to a Husband

In my best-case unmarried universe, I cheerfully make all the limitations work, from not having a spouse for heavy lifting to sleeping alone. But spunk doesn’t make up for everything. I was really moved by Jane Brody’s series of columns in the Times, in which she poignantly writes about her husband of 43 years who recently succumbed to lung cancer. Here’s an excerpt from her piece, The Pain of Losing a Spouse is Singular:     Continue reading »

My Brush with the iPad

On January 19, when Apple was rumored to be launching their version of an “e-reader,” I kept checking my iPhone every few minutes for news. When it was announced, I shrieked the name IPAD!!! to people in the immediate vicinity, who looked over their shoulders at me in fear. But I’d been waiting for this day for years. On Saturday, I walked to the neighborhood Mac store to finally put my hands on the iPad. By the time I arrived late in the afternoon, there was no longer a line and I strolled right in. (Yes, I’m a zealot, but I’m not crazy.) Like all Apple products, the iPad feels good to the touch with a design that is elegant and crisp, and it would fit well in my average-sized purse. Not that I could test such a thing with all the security guards swarming around. Would I be so passionate for technology if I had a man in bed? My guess is, we’ll all be sleeping with some version of the iPad within the next few years, so I’m thinking, why wait?