Marjorie Dorfman's Blog
Posted by Marjorie Dorfman
Eleanor Roosevelt learned at a very early age that beauty spoke in a voice as powerful as money. She learned that fact quite harshly because she was reminded by an aloof and insensitive grandparent that she did not possess it, and as such better be smart and brave and everything else to make up for it. She once said; "Do something every day that makes you afraid." Good advice and she followed her own words with sincerity and devotion for all of her public life.
Eleanor Roosevelt was a civil rights activist long before it was fashionable or even reasonable. The issues confronting the nation's underprivileged population had been pushed under the national rug; a shame and embarrassment that most political figures did not wish to address. Not Eleanor Roosevelt. She spoke for the poor and worked for them and she was very well loved and respected.
Read all about this extraordinary woman who is often seen in the shadow of her very famous husband. In her own right, she accomplished just as much in her lifetime. Learn all about this amazing woman who cared enough about the world to try and make it a better place for all mankind.
Posted by Marjorie Dorfman
Her very name personifies wealth privilege and a proximity to royalty that few Americans ever achieve in their lifetime. From the days of American Camelot when her husband, John Kennedy, was president of the United States to her later years as an editor for Doubleday and an activist, Jacqueline Kennedy never wavered in her projection of elegance, beauty and grace.
The story of her life is one of wealth and high society, but not one without its share of suffering and adversity. She found little solace in her husband's family in dealing with his many affairs, and she stood alone in her fight to protect her children from the relentless eyes and cameras of ubiquitous photographers.
Her essence is forever emblazoned on the cover and headline of Look Magazine the week her husband was murdered. The words, "Valiant is the Word for Jackie" live forever in the minds and hearts of those who lived through that terrible time in American history. She refused medication to dull her unbearable pain during those dark days because she felt it was more important for her to lead the nation in mourning its slain president and to be there for her children.
Read all about this fascinating woman whose life ended too soon in May of 1994.
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Posted by Marjorie Dorfman
How many out there in Suite 101 land remember the ending to that old Lone Ranger television show that went something like, "Who was that masked man? I wanted to thank him?" Surely the pilgrims who settled in Plymouth, Massachusetts, that cold and barren winter of 1620-21 felt the same way about this member of the Patuxet tribe whose birth name was Tisquantum.
Down through the course of history and folklore, the exact motives for the actions of this proud native-American may well have been clouded and exaggerated. There is no question, however, that the Pilgrims would not have survived the first year in the new world without his help. He taught them to hunt and fish and stay warm, and even though some early pilgrims did die, many more would have done so if not for his help.
But Squanto was a flesh and blood human being prone to all human conditions, notably the one about power and how it can corrupt the spirit. He was slated for execution by his fellow native-Americans, but the pilgrims forestalled it because they needed him too much to give him up.
Squanto's name will forever be associated with the first Thanksgiving feast held in the New World. Read about the life of this most fascinating native-American.
Posted by Marjorie Dorfman
I was very young when JFK died, but like everyone else who was alive at the time, I will never forget exactly what I was doing when I heard the terrible news that he had been shot in Dallas on November 22, 1963. I was listening to the radio. It was playing the number one hit of the time, "Since I Fell For You," by Lenny Welch. Suddenly, in my favorite part of the song, the music was interrupted, as was my whole life and those of everyone around me. Nothing was ever the same again.
Adoration is easier when one is young, for one-sided love is unconditional, and boundaries and expectations are rarely defined. At his Inaugural Address when Kennedy said: "Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country," the words rang with a truth that pounded in my idealistic young ears.
His sexual escapades brought him down a peg in the eyes of many, mine included, even though many were not known about until after his death. His affair with Marilyn Monroe was over the top and compounded by his brother Bobby's affair with her as well. I am sure his wife found little solace in the Kennedy clan, whose matriarch, Rose, endured the same behavior from her husband, Joseph throughout their marriage.
But who was this handsome, charismatic and eloquent man who became the first catholic president of the United States? Read about his life and tragic death at the age of forty-six.
Posted by Marjorie Dorfman
Born in New Orleans, author Anne Rice now makes her home in California near her only remaining child, Christopher. Still, the haunted mists and enduring allure of New Orleans is the backdrop for most of her eerie tales of horror. Vampires are an Anne Rice specialty, and she has honed her craft to perfection, much to the appreciation and adoration of her multitude of fans.
Anne Rice is a woman who bears many personal burdens. She lost one child, a daughter, aged six, to leukemia. With her overwhelming success, came the unexpected and devastating loss of her husband, Stan Rice, and the onslaught of the silent killer, type one diabetes. Anne Rice's struggles with weight have resulted in gastric-bypass surgery.
For the many fans of author of Anne Rice, it is a sad time, for there will be no more vampire tales for them to enjoy. The queen of the horror novel has turned her writing attentions to material of a religious nature. A former atheist, Anne Rice's newly-found faith has prompted her to write only for the Lord.
Lovers of the horror genre will miss Anne Rice's unique style of telling a tale and her colorful and unforgettable characters.
Read the story of the life of Anne Rice, an extraordinary author.
