Marlene Wagman-Geller

"As far back as I can remember, it was always on my bucket list, even before the term bucket list was coined,
to be a writer. It was a natural progression to want to go from reading books to writing one."
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Lobster (1994)

Lobster (1994)
Sep 22, 2023 by Marlene Wagman-Geller

“Oh, I’m sorry. Did my back hurt your knife?”

      The 18th century Tivoli Fountain in Rome is forever associated with the image of Anita Ekberg frolicking in its water in a scene from Federico Fellini’s La Dolce Vita. A far different, but equally iconic fountain appears in the opening credits of the television series Friends in which six Manhattan Musketeers sport in the water to the backdrop of the lyric, “I’ll be there for you.”

After All (1970)

After All (1970)
Sep 19, 2023 by Marlene Wagman-Geller
In 1967, Mary Tyler Moore starred in the movie Thoroughly Modern Millie. Her television series, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, could similarly have had the title Thoroughly Modern Mary, as its eponymous heroine threw off the shackles that kept 1970s women imprisoned in a shag-carpeted cage.

Mr. Bojangles (1928)

Mr. Bojangles (1928)
Sep 19, 2023 by Marlene Wagman-Geller
F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote, “There are no second acts in American lives.” His words proved a self-fulfilling prophecy when the hand that penned The Great Gatsby shook so much from alcoholic tremors he could no longer hold a pen. In contrast, other artists have reinvented themselves in their later years, a fact manifested by a woman who proved there was life post The Good Ship Lollipop.

Viva La Causa (1930)

Viva La Causa (1930)
Sep 14, 2023 by Marlene Wagman-Geller
   Ironically, the World War II poster of Rosie the Riveter and its caption, “We can do it!” was the brainchild of a man though it became a symbol of female empowerment. In contrast, the slogan of the United Farm Workers, attributed to Cesar Chavez, was authored by a woman-one who history regulated to a footnote due to an amalgam of sexism and ageism.

I Will What I Want (2015)

I Will What I Want (2015)
Sep 10, 2023 by Marlene Wagman-Geller
Dance Moms, a Lifetime Network Chanel television show, features stage moms on steroids, endlessly exhorting their rhinestone-clad daughters to lift the barre on their competitors. In contrast to the dancing divas is Misty Copeland, the first African-American woman to be named a principal dancer at the prestigious American Ballet Theatre (ABT). 

Triumph of the Will (1902)

Triumph of the Will (1902)
Sep 08, 2023 by Marlene Wagman-Geller
 The ancient Greek Menader wrote, “Whom the gods love die young.” The quotation applies to a 20th century woman who lived for over a century-the latter half under the cloud of colluding with the most evil regime in history. This raises the philosophical question: should we judge art on its own aesthetic or does its creator’s ethics come into play? Those who believe that a canvass should be divorced from the painter could make the argument the pyramids were constructed at the cost of the lives of thousands of Jewish slaves yet remain one of the Seven Wonders.  

White Feather (1968)

White Feather (1968)
Aug 30, 2023 by Marlene Wagman-Geller
  “Na, na, na, na na na na na na na na, Hey Jude…” Generations of Beatles’ fans rock to the lyric although many might be mystified as to the identity of Jude. The allusion refers to Julian Lennon; the reason for the name change—Paul McCartney felt “it sounded better.”

A Joyful Noise (1963)

A Joyful Noise (1963)
Aug 28, 2023 by Marlene Wagman-Geller
The dust will never settle on stirring lines from speeches such as “Ain’t I a Woman?” “Four score and seven years ago,” and “I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat.” One iconic quotation would not have been delivered if not for the Queen of Gospel.

Still Somewhere

Still Somewhere
Aug 27, 2023 by Marlene Wagman-Geller

The Story Bank (opened in 2019 )

 Maryborough, Queensland, Australia

“Sorrow lies like a heartbeat behind everything I have written.” P. Travers

 

     If the east wind blows you into the town of Maryborough, visit The Story Bank to partake of heaping spoonfuls of sugar. The museum was the birthplace of P. L. Travers, the Australian-born author of British nanny, Mary Poppins.

Still Somewhere

Still Somewhere
Aug 27, 2023 by Marlene Wagman-Geller

The Story Bank (opened in 2019 )

 Maryborough, Queensland, Australia

“Sorrow lies like a heartbeat behind everything I have written.” P. Travers

 

     If the east wind blows you into the town of Maryborough, visit The Story Bank to partake of heaping spoonfuls of sugar. The museum was the birthplace of P. L. Travers, the Australian-born author of British nanny, Mary Poppins.

The Storm (1875)

The Storm (1875)
Aug 27, 2023 by Marlene Wagman-Geller
  Crowned heads usually walk the prescribed path of sumptuous palaces, eye-popping jewelry, envy-worthy travels. A royal woman took this road, but along the way, her life also intertwined with Count Dracula, a Dorothy Parker poem, a revolution-and that was merely the tip of the proverbial iceberg.

Failure is Impossible

Failure is Impossible
Aug 26, 2023 by Marlene Wagman-Geller

Susan B. Anthony House (opened 1971)

Rochester, New York

“Men, their rights, and nothing more; women their rights, and nothing less.” Susan B. Anthony

   The unwavering friendship between Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Antony formed the foundation of the American suffrage movement. Elizabeth supplied the speeches that Susan delivered, “I forged the thunderbolts and Susan fired them!” For those desperately seeking Susan, one should make a pilgrimage to the Susan B. Anthony House.

I Do Not Give a Damn (1893)

I Do Not Give a Damn (1893)
Aug 17, 2023 by Marlene Wagman-Geller

“The first thing I do in the morning is brush my teeth and sharpen my tongue.” 
 

              Legions of literary ladies entertain the dream of heading for New York City to become another Dorothy Parker, the rapier wit who achieved renown as the Guinevere of the Algonquin Round Table, a group of Manhattan writers and critics. Would-be Parker acolytes might reconsider walking in her pumps if they understood the pain behind Mrs. Parker’s wisecracks.

I Still Believe

I Still Believe
Aug 04, 2023 by Marlene Wagman-Geller

“I want to go on living after my death.” – Anne Frank

 

The Anne Frank House (opened in 1960)

 Prinsenghracht 263, Amsterdam, Holland

 

            As Romeo walked the streets of Verona, he observed, “Here is much to do with hate but more with love.” The self-same words apply to an Amsterdam building that receives over a million annual visits. The hate emanated from the mustached madman of Berlin; the love stemmed from the shared devotion of the Frank family.

Antonia's Ark (1908)

Antonia's Ark (1908)
Aug 01, 2023 by Marlene Wagman-Geller

“You can never tell who your enemies are, or who to trust. Maybe that’s why I love animals so much.”

   The modern zoo originated in 1907 when a German animal whisperer opened the eponymous Carl Hagenbeck Animal Park. Hans Augusto Rey, a frequent visitor, spent hours drawing monkeys he later immortalized in his literary creation, Curious George. A Polish zoo was also a curious place whose owner understood that those who emulate the three proverbial monkeys-see no evil, speak no evil, hear no evil- are complicit in inhumanity.

Eureka! Penguin Books

Eureka! Penguin Books
Jul 30, 2023 by Marlene Wagman-Geller

Revolutions have made deep inroads on the face of history: the French, American, and Russian Revolutions irrevocably altered the world. However, there was another type of upheaval, equally ideological, but far less bloody, that led not to political change but to revolution. Moreover, in the process, a bird once only indigenous to the Arctic became ubiquitous throughout the world.

A Girl's Best Friend (1946)

A Girl's Best Friend (1946)
Jul 28, 2023 by Marlene Wagman-Geller
In their album Bookends, Simon & Garfunkel sang, “Time it was, and what a time it was, it was/A time of innocence/ A time of confidences/Long ago, it must be…” One of the memories from the 1950s involved Tupperware parties where housewives could envision themselves as mini moguls. A time when Tupperware and the rotary phone held sway. The groundbreaking plastic marvel sprung full-blown from the mind of Earl Silas Tupper.

Vertubenflugen (1985)

Vertubenflugen (1985)
Jul 25, 2023 by Marlene Wagman-Geller

 

Rose to Blanche, “I thought you wore too much make-up and were a slut. I was wrong. You don’t wear too much make-up.”

 

    Picture it: Miami, 1985. NBC aired a novel series that featured women of a certain age who did more than strategize where to place their crotchet creations. Instead, the Four Musketeers from The Golden Girls proved there was life post menopause.

    

Just Sarah (1959)

Just Sarah (1959)
Jul 23, 2023 by Marlene Wagman-Geller
Tales that begin with the words “once upon a time” lead girls to believe they are princesses-in-waiting, that a handsome prince will whisk them off to a “happily ever after.” Alas, with royal paramours in short supply, women must look elsewhere. Hence, when a duchess exposed the reality beyond fairy tale enchantment, her revelations packed quite the punch.

You Can't Beat 1903

You Can't Beat 1903
Jul 22, 2023 by Marlene Wagman-Geller

 

   From time immemorial, relationships have often been expressed through gifts. Some, like Eve’s apple and the Trojan Horse, proved unkind to those who received them, while other gifts have been odes to romance. Few women have received as wondrous a present as Cosima Wagner did when Richard composed the Siegfried Idyll for her birthday. Tsar Alexander’s Fabergé egg gained mileage with his young bride, as did Burton’s 68-carat diamond to his ladylove. Resplendent as the symphony, the egg, and the ring may be, nothing could rival a son’s tribute to his mother.