“I’ve already told your sister,” begins my 88 year-old mother, Nancy, who’s not laughing, “My wedding dress is in the attic in a trunk. The only one it will fit is your …
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Ramona Jan
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5/3/22
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I’m taking the daughter to an interview at a Manhattan architectural firm because she solved an incredible engineering issue that for centuries perplexed even the most masterful of architects. …
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Ramona Jan
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4/26/22
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“I wrote a hit song called Sparkle in the Streetlight,” said Marc J. Switko (the J, he once told me, was for Jane, but I suspected otherwise). He then started singing, “Well, I …
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Ramona Jan
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4/19/22
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The phone rings. It’s a New Jersey detective and he’s looking for my cousin, Davie. “He’s wanted for car theft,” informs said-detective.
“Spell your full …
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Ramona Jan
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4/12/22
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My grandmother, Lina Dreher, was sixteen when she kept this diary. She attended high school while also working in the family bakery, and she had eight siblings, some of whom are mentioned …
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Ramona Jan
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4/5/22
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I recently read that Jesus delivered his tax payments in the mouth of a catfish. Though I’d love to do the same, I haven’t the energy. I’ll stick with the paper-filled accounting …
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Ramona Jan
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3/29/22
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I took the job because it paid cash and required only four hours a night. A long shimmering gown was the mandatory attire. Since I didn’t own one, I simply sewed a ruffled blouse to an equally …
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Ramona Jan
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3/22/22
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I’m at home ‘swiffering’ the kitchen (a Swiffer is a type of dusting device) when the phone rings. It’s Finn, an old friend from Ireland. One could say the ‘Donald …
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Ramona Jan
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3/15/22
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Continued excerpts from my grandmother’s diary when she was sixteen. Her name was Lina. She attended high school and worked in the family bakery located in Times Square. They lived above the …
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Ramona Jan
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3/8/22
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My grandmother was sixteen when she kept this diary. One of eight children, she attended high school while also working in the family bakery. Her older sister, Tillie, and younger brother Joe are …
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Ramona Jan
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3/1/22
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Act One, Manhattan, 1978: My band, Comateens, had just performed at Hurrah, a nightclub in NYC, when I sauntered into the DJ booth brandishing our new single, Danger Zone. “Great!” the DJ …
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Ramona Jan
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2/22/22
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Imagine you’re working fulltime for minimum wage and the cost of living in Manhattan is so low, you actually save money. You tuck $3,000 away in a passbook savings account and by the end of …
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Ramona Jan
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2/15/22
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