Lady Bracknell, a character in Oscar Wilde’s comedy, The Importance of Being Earnest,  is an elderly Victorian aristocrat with her corset pulled so tight it affects her brain. Learning that her daughter’s suitor is an orphan, she responds with disdain rather than sympathy.  To l

Each morning, my hand mirror gives me two versions of myself. On one side, I get an enlarged view. On the other, I see myself as others do. At my age, neither offers a flattering option. Frankly, there are days when I welcome the Covid-19 edict to wear a protective mask. Not only is c

  If some people can’t handle the truth, it may be because the truth is hard to find.  Too often there’s an understory. A number of understories appeared in the February 14 edition of The Week. Because they are amusing, I’ll share them, starting with male myths: A man driv

I  heard it again today.  “Oh, I never read fiction.  I prefer non-fiction.” My molars dug into the side of my cheek so that I could hold my tongue. People who make this remark seem to imagine reading fiction is a frivolous pastime.  In my experience, men most often hold this

A while ago, a theater critic wrote of a performance he’d endured, “Those of us who have witnessed the play… last night will undoubtedly hold periodic reunions In the noble tradition of survivors of the Titanic.” (“Manners & Misdemeanors,” by Pete Wells, Town&Count

Guilt and shame seem to describe the same human condition. Both reactions arise from having done something wrong.  According to the experts, however, the two are different.  Guilt is a response to a specific action, an event external to an individual.  Stealing a cookie from a shop