Elizabeth Kerri Mahon

  Billy Rose Theatre Collection, New York Public Library for the Performing Arts Most of the time living in New York is delightful, and there are few other cities on this planet (apart from London) that I could see myself living.  However, holiday weekends in New York can be a pain, particularly this past weekend with all the sales going on.  To escape the crowds, I headed up to the Performing Arts Library at Lincoln Center to see the Katherine Hepburn exhibt entitled 'Dressed for State and Screen .' While I've been a fan of Katherine Hepburn's since I was a kid, I've never thought of her as a style icon but walking through the exhibit, I had to change my mind.  The exhibit was sponsored by the Kent State University Museum, the recipiant of Hepburn's costumes and other theatrical paraphenalia after her death.  The exhibit wasn't huge but the items they had on display were choice, including the evening gown that she wore in ADAM'S RIB, and the w...

Title:   Constance - The Tragic and Scandalous Life of Mrs. Oscar Wilde Author:   Franny Moyle Publisher: Pegasus Publication date: 10/10/2012 Acquired through :   Net Galley What it’s about:   In the spring of 1895 the life of Constance Wilde changed irrevocably. Up until the conviction of her husband, Oscar, for homosexual crimes, she had held a privileged position in society. Part of a gilded couple, she was a popular children's author, a fashion icon, and a leading campaigner for women's rights. A founding member of the magical society The Golden Dawn, her pioneering and questioning spirit encouraged her to sample some of the more controversial aspects of her time. Mrs. Oscar Wilde was a phenomenon in her own right. But that spring Constance's entire life was eclipsed by scandal. Forced to flee to the Continent with her two sons, her glittering literary and political career ended abruptly. She lived in exile until her death. My thou...

Today is Election Day here in the United States which got me thinking about the fact that we are one of the few Western nations that has never had a female head of state.   In our 200+ years as a nation, we have had two women run for Vice President, three female Secretaries of State, and one female Speaker of the House.   Yet we still haven’t managed to have a female at the top of the ticket, although we’ve come close.   Here is just salute to some of the female Heads of State in recent history (check out this link on Wikipedia for the complete list of current and former Female Heads of State). Some of these women were the first female heads of state in their countries.   Some came from political dynasties but all fought hard-won elections to become the head of State in their countries.   What surprised me was how many Latin American countries have female Presidents.   Yes, those macho countries have female Presidents!   Here’s hoping that we in th...

And the winner of the Marie Antoinetteapalooza is: Ashley!       I will be emailing you this afternoon to get your address.  Thanks to everyone who entered the Giveaway!

Author:  Bianca Turetsky Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers   Publication date: 9/18/2012   Pages: 272   Age range: 8 - 12 Years About the Book:   What if a beautiful dress could take you back in time? Louise Lambert's best friend's thirteenth birthday party is fast approaching, so of course the most important question on her mind is, "What am I going to wear?!" Slipping on an exquisite robin's egg blue gown during another visit to the mysterious Traveling Fashionista Vintage Sale, Louise finds herself back in time once again, swept up in the glory of palace life, fancy parties, and enormous hair as a member of the court of France's most infamous queen, Marie Antoinette. But between cute commoner boys and glamorous trips to Paris, life in the palace isn't all cake and couture. Can Louise keep her cool-and her head!-as she races against the clock to get home? Meet the Author: Bianca Turetsky is the author of the...

Since I was had two days off from work thanks to Hurricane Sandy, I had ample time to actually do some research.   I love the Revolutionary War period and I wish that more authors of both historical fiction and romance would use this rich period of history as a backdrop.   One of the most fascinating women during this period is Peggy Shippen Arnold.   Most students of American history know about her husband Benedict Arnold who turned traitor but few know the role that Peggy played in his betrayal of his country.   Thanks to a new biography, Treacherous Beauty: Peggy Shippen, the Woman behind Benedict Arnold’s Plot to Betray America by Stephan H. Case and Mark Jacob, perhaps more people will know her name.   Peggy Shippen Arnold and child, by Sir Thomas Lawrence   Margaret ‘Peggy’ Shippen was born June 11, 1760 in Philadelphia.   The Shippen family was quite a prominent family; her lineage included two mayors and the founder of Shippensburg, ...