What I wrote more than five years ago, seen in light of today’s circumstances. Diverging from Philip K. Dick After bingeing on at least four novels by Philip K. Dick [hereafter, PKD] and being discomfited by the future he envisioned—dark, … Continue reading Another Look at SciFi
If my character Gerty, who appears in so many of my drawings, were real, I’d want her to be my long-time next-door neighbor. She would become my friend and sometime confidante, reliable, but not stodgy. She’d elicit uncontrollable laughter with … Continue reading Remembering Our Last Cat
In 1952, after the fifth attempted burglary of our house on 50th Street in Chicago, my parents decided to buy a lot on the North Shore and build a new home. Before that work could begin, they organized lawsuits with other prospective lot buyers to break a restrictive covenant governing all the empty lots on a recently divided family estate. Until the covenant became illegal, the owner would not sell real property to Blacks, Jews, or Asians. Almost as a celebration of their victory over prejudice, they built a ranch house on a wooded, half-acre lot on a private lane … Continue reading Salad and the Hotpoint Kitchen
[The following is a hint of what you’ll find next year in my new work, a book of unusual bird illustrations and commentary. The art is mine and so is the story.] A man holding a heavy sack entered the forest. He trudged down a beaten path until he came to a grove of trees. A Blue-Crested Palaver and a sparrow were spying on him from separate branches of a twisted and gnarled beech tree. Neither knew that the other had been following the man. Yawning, the man sat cross-legged beneath the beech and loosened the ties of his sack. … Continue reading The Blue-Crested Palaver and A Curiosity’s Sparrow
New little book just launched A fun journey through the days and months of my popular cartoon character, Gerty. Available now https://www.amazon.com/Gertys-Way-Friends-Fickle-Weather/dp/1732143455/ref A recent review: Elw 5.0 out of 5 stars GertyReviewed in the United States on August 29, 2024 Gerty is my retired fourth grade teacher, my favorite grocery clerk, my dedicated accountant, my dear next-door neighbor. She’s EveryWoman and she’s uniquely herself. Delightful to spend these moments with her; hope you’ll get to hang out with Gerty too. (BTW: age range really is 8-99+) And Brian 5.0 out of 5 stars A lovely, well-done bookReviewed in Canada on August 29, … Continue reading Announcing
It was not a dark and stormy night. In fact it was a bright, sunny day that led to an odd and unexpectedly mysterious adventure hinting at certainty yet filling me with confusion. My husband Stephen and I were in Australia on our way in a private catamaran ferry to Berriedale, a suburb of Hobart, Tasmania and bound for MONA, the Museum of Old and New Art. As we entered the boat’s VIP section lounge, happy fellow passengers were gobbling appetizer cakes and tossing back mimosas or something harder. Our Australian guide, Nate hurried to snag us a table. “Ovah … Continue reading Kryptos: Written in Code
Paris resides in my core as a frame of mind, a feeling, regardless of its physical changes over the many years I have been visiting it. Continue reading Autumn is Spring
You found a pearl in your oyster, a variety of experience as expressed at its core, through language. Continue reading The World is My Oyster
Times have changed and so has the expectation that no meal is complete without bread. Continue reading Bread and Table Setting
Working from home. A cozy, comforting idea as winter sets in with its chill winds and low-hanging, grey dome of a sky. Continue reading Gerty: Still Out There
Susan Bass Marcus Writes 